The Sun Never Stops Setting
by frosty wonder ice
Summary: Discontinued AU An incident in Kai's childhood sends him searching for answers, unable to shake the memory that haunts him.
1. Everything Is Wrong

**Rating**: _R due to "graphic nature"_

**Major Pairing(s) for this chapter**: _Kai/Rei (M/M)_

**Disclaimer**: _I do not own Beyblade or its characters._

I am not sure where the inspiration for this fic came from; it just kind of dropped out of the sky and into my lap one morning while I sleepily tried to sit up in bed, but only succeeded in smacking my head on the top bunk. Maybe I got the idea from the concussion…

**Pay attention to dates**, otherwise the story will be quite confusing. I even baffle myself when writing it as I forget when I dated something.

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**Part 1** – _Everything Is Wrong_

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_February **28**, **1986**_

Trees rushed past on either side, their colored leaves chasing the train as it went by in a flurry of wind, racing toward the dark clouds that rolled in the sky and leaving behind drenched, open fields that had already succumbed to the awesome power of an afternoon storm. The wind whistled and the sky cracked.

Hiwatari Kai listened to the rhythmic sound of the train moving over the steel tracks and the clattering of silver utensils against china plates as he stared out a large, shaded window on his left. He had been watching the sky change from dreary blues to dark grays for a while now, listening to the occasional crackle of thunder that rose faintly above the noise in the train.

He was young, alone, and bored, resting his cheek against one curled fist as his eyes followed the movement outside. He closed his eyes briefly before turning them to the other occupants seated at the tables inside the dining car. They were dressed lavishly, the ladies in pastel dresses with wide-rimmed sun hats tucked neatly against their sides and the gentlemen in black tuxes with gold cuff links. Sighing, Kai drew his attention back to the window, noticing the small rivers of water that streaked across the glass.

It had begun to rain.

"Shall I take your plate, sir?"

Kai flashed bored eyes toward the man standing next to his seat, and then down at his untouched food, mumbling a polite, "Please," though it lacked a grateful tone.

The man took the plate and, nodding once with a slight quirk of the brow, drifted away to another table. Kai, still leaning against one hand, lifted the other to run a finger around the rim of his glass. He didn't receive a satisfying, low hum; no one would place fancy crystal on such a jolting train. The gesture did distract him momentarily, however, occupying the short minutes that he needed in order to think of something to do.

The peeking sun finally disappeared into the fog on the horizon, leaving darkness in its place. Kai could barely see out the window, instead getting a reflection of what was happening inside the car. His eyes wandered over the jovial faces of the other passengers, his ears catching their laughs. It was a way to stare without being caught.

Kai's bored expression twisted into one of confusion as his eyes met up with the reflection of another's on the shiny glass plane. He looked away from the window, facing the seat across from him, and was surprised to see that someone was sitting there, watching him. Had he been so distracted that he had not noticed this person slide into the seat?

The other was Kai's age, or thereabouts, and Kai blinked stupidly at him before regaining control over his expression. They stared in silence at one another, and then, as if amused or possibly even relieved to find someone sharing his boredom, the other boy smiled. It was a soft smile, and he cocked his head to the side as he stared at Kai, his raven hair sliding like silk as he did so. After a few slow blinks, Kai smiled in return, unsure of how to respond. The other boy's smile spread wider, his golden eyes gleaming.

The sound of heels clicked quietly on the ground next to Kai, passing him, but he did not notice the presence of the lady until she was leaning down to whisper something in the other boy's ear, drawing his attention away from Kai and to her. Kai watched as she took the boy's small hand in hers, pulling him out of the seat and leading him away. The boy's mother, perhaps?

With the last flicker of a smile, the boy glanced over his shoulder at Kai, a subtle way of saying goodbye. It was as they walked away that Kai noticed the faint, strange markings encircling the boy's wrist. It looked like writing.

Kai watched them go, eyes glued to them until they stepped out the door on the far end of the dining car, no doubt going back to their own private room. When they were gone from sight, Kai turned back to the window, back to staring outside, though now his mind was preoccupied.

The boy and his mother… she had to be his mother; they were identical. They were dressed like everyone else, yet there was something different about them. The way the lady practically flowed when she walked, like if reached for, she would slip right through the wanting fingers, and the way the boy had looked at her… So admiring… So trusting…

And where had she gone to that she had to leave the boy alone for those short minutes? They had not started in the dining car; at least, Kai had not seen them. Maybe they were coming back from visiting a friend's room, and she had waited a little while for the rain to let up before passing the bridge between the cars…

A gentle shake of the head, and the thoughts were gone; Kai knew he was overanalyzing things again.

"Young sir, perhaps you should head back to your room. Your parents may be getting worried."

Kai once more shifted his eyes to the man standing at his table, his thoughtful look changing swiftly to a cold stare. He frowned at the man, but, upon realizing how long he had been sitting in the dining car, nodded and slowly slid out of his seat.

"Would you like me to escort you back? I doubt your parents want you wandering around alone," the man asked, yet his expression betrayed his words. He looked on at Kai with pity, thinking Kai to be the child of parents who probably didn't even notice his absence, like so many other of the children on the train that night.

However, the man soon found himself on the receiving end of as much of a hateful glare as a ten-year-old could make.

"My parents are dead," Kai snapped, shoving his way out of the booth and past the man. He ignored the stuttered apology that drifted behind him, blocking out the voice. A small pain rose in his chest, but he soon quelled that as well.

The man at the door gave Kai the same calculating look that every adult did, but he slid the door open without question. Kai stepped through onto the little bridge that connected the two cars, the wind whipping around him and a few drops of rain that had managed to slip into the small opening between the cars splashed into Kai's face, once vicious raindrop even nailing him right in the eye.

The small bridge creaked under his weight as he stepped across and he watched the fast moving tracks that came and disappeared beneath him like two endless, metal snakes. The door to the next car was closed, and there was no man to open it. Kai frowned, wondering where the doorman had gone, and helped himself into the car.

This car was quieter, much quieter, the doors to all the rooms shut and no one else present in the car's narrow hallway. The dead silence was eerie to Kai, and he quickly passed through, his own room being two more cars up. He paused in front of one door, making out the faintest hint of music on the other side, but otherwise there was nothing and Kai was alone. He hurriedly continued on his way to the other unwatched door.

Had Kai been somewhat older, or female, he most likely would have wondered a bit more about the silence of that one car, and possibly even have connected it with earlier events. However, lacking experience or intuition, Kai wrote off his feelings of apprehension as nothing more than childish anxiety, as he happened to be in the stage of childhood where one tries so hard to seem older and stronger.

Forgetting about the car and his feelings almost immediately upon exiting, it was only after he went through two more sets of doors, after _it_ happened, and he was sitting in the cold rain with nothing but an umbrella for protection, watching a group of people walk solemnly away from him, that he realized, _Hey, something is wrong here_.

First, Kai felt it. The entire train car that he was standing in shuddered. Then he heard it. It boomed like thunder, except the screeching of metal against metal followed it. Another tremor ran through the train and it rocked to its side a bit, the eerie screeching getting louder and louder.

The doors to Kai's side started to slide open, some passengers sticking out their heads and looking around, but more bold ones storming from their compartments and demanding answers from the door men. The car was suddenly full of loud voices, people yelling, crying, and screaming as the train car jerked back and forth.

Kai recognized the screeching as the brakes clamping on the steel tracks, and immediately began to push his way through the crowded hall toward the door. The doorman was telling the passengers not to worry and preventing them from reaching the door. Kai slipped right past him, being small enough to.

"Please, everyone, it would be wise to – hey!"

Kai felt the man grasp the back of his coat and pull him back, but he was able to catch a glimpse of outside through the small window on the door. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the train cars in front of the one he was in pitch and turn on their sides, the sound of grinding metal getting louder.

There was an instant where everything seemed to pause; ladies' mouths open in indignant cries; gentlemen's faces screwed up in hot anger; the lights in mid-flicker; the screeching of the metal dying, if only for just a second, before the entire train car pitched like ones before it.

In a flash, Kai was thrown against one of the walls, the other passengers crushing him under their weight. Angry cries turned to ones of terror, and hands began frantically reaching about for something – anything – to hang onto. Kai hung tightly to one of the light fixtures on the wall, but when the car pitched again, it was ripped from its place and both it and Kai were thrown like rag dolls.

More screams, more terrified hands reaching.

Then it all flashed away.

Kai slowly opened his eyes and looked about. The silence that now reigned over the train car was unsettling, and it took Kai a moment to realize he had been unconscious. The car was completely dark and the pounding of rain could be heard against the top of the train car. Except, Kai was sitting on the ceiling of the car. Looking up, Kai could barely make out the red carpet in the dark, the same red carpet that lined the luxurious train's floors.

It was then that Kai seemed to notice everything else. The sound of water running; the tilt of the train car; the people around him that were still unconscious. In a flash of lightening, he could make out the door at one end of the car with water seeping in through its cracks and quickly filling up that end of the car.

Kai was, fortunately, on the higher side of the car, but his body was frozen in place as his eyes roamed over the faces of the other passengers. Every time the lightening flashed through the door's window and into the car, Kai could see their expressions. He could see the blood that trickled from deep gashes, and the mouths that were still open in horror, dead eyes staring back at Kai.

Was no one else alive?

Kai breathed in sharply, a lump in his throat. His heart raced, pounding in his ears. Why, like the others, was he not piled in the bottom half of the train, dead and being covered by water? Kai's frantic eyes searched about, but when he turned, he felt a tug on the back of his coat. He cautiously looked behind him, and promptly cried out in a mixture of shock and fright.

The doorman's hand still gripped his coat, and the doorman's body was stuck in a crush of metal that had, most likely, happened when the car pitched the first time on its side. He had stopped Kai from looking out the window. He had stopped Kai from being thrown like the others. He had stopped Kai from being crushed underneath the bodies and drowned by the water, and the twisted look of pain on his face stopped Kai's heart for a split second.

Crying out again, Kai jerked free of his coat and pressed himself flat against the opposite wall. He was _terrified_. The earlier pain that he had shoved away rose again in his chest. He wanted, needed, someone to come and wrap her arms around him and tell him everything was going to be okay. He wanted her to sing to him like she used to. He wanted to cry in her arms like he used to.

But there was no one; they were all dead.

In a burst of adrenaline, Kai scrambled his way to the upside down door of the train car and forced it open. Instantly, he was met with pelting rain, rumbling thunder, and the whistling wind.

Kai didn't care.

Pulling himself out of the door, he tried to see what had happened, tried to see if there was anyone else alive like him, but the only thing he could see was the broken bridge, half of the wrecked train lining the bank of a fast moving river and the other half already in the water. The car Kai was in was the middle car that separated the two halves, and was being tugged, almost encouraged, by the river to join the rest of the cars in the water.

Still trembling, Kai jumped into the shallow water nearest him and made his way toward the riverbank. What had happened? One minute everything was fine, and the next… Kai tried not to think about it. He didn't _want_ to think about it.

The muddy bank was slippery, and Kai constantly found himself falling. Nonetheless, he kept going, eyes burning with tears and throat closing up in a tight sob. He had been told not to panic in tragic situations, but he would wonder later – when he wasn't attempting to get to some form of safety – whether or not the person who had told him that had ever been in a tragic situation, because, _damn_, panic was probably the only firm feeling he could grasp at that moment.

Finally, Kai reached higher ground, and he collapsed in exhaustion. The rain continued its assault on his small body, and he fought to see through its thick sheets for someone. Anyone. He didn't want to be alone, not right now. He needed company, even if the person was of the lowest class of scum. Even if the person was a no-good, indecent human. Kai didn't care.

The rain stopped. Or, at least, it stopped over Kai's head. He could still hear it, could still see it, but no longer did it beat brutally against his face. And then Kai saw the small, delicate hand that was extended toward him. His eyes traced up the arm of the hand, up to the face where two golden eyes glowed in the dark as they studied Kai.

Slowly, Kai placed his own muddy hand in the clean one and allowed himself to be helped up and under the slight protection of the umbrella. The other boy guided his hand to the handle of the umbrella.

The boy looked thoughtful for a moment and then, flashing Kai a kind, secretive smile, said, "Goodbye, yān yǎn-jūn," before dashing away into the rain. Kai reached out to stop him, but his fingers only grabbed air.

Now Kai could see the others that were standing close by, but not too close. They each had an umbrella and it was to them that the boy ran. He went straight to the same woman that had been with him before and she again took his hand in hers, though she, nor any of the others, never tore her eyes away from Kai.

The way they looked at Kai kept him from going to them. Just a minute earlier, he had thought he did not care _whom_ he was with, but now… Now those cold eyes froze him to his spot. They were hateful and showed the obvious distaste the owners held for Kai. The only one with bright eyes, the only one who looked like he welcomed Kai, was the boy with golden eyes.


	2. Flower, The Sky Is Broken

**Rating**: _R due to "graphic nature"_

**Major Pairing(s) for this chapter**: _Kai/Rei (M/M)_

**Disclaimer**: _I do not own Beyblade or its characters._

This chapter, as you will find, is the other version of the train wreck. Expect more violence (because I am such a violent writer, haha!). The next chapter will be several years down the road. Kai & Rei are about ten in these first two chapters, and they will be somewhere near twenty-five in the next ones. And you are being forewarned about Rei's "family."

**Normally, I hate it when **people use too much of another language – it seems like they are trying to show off their knowledge – but I attempted to learn the honorifics associated with the Chinese language. I am (most likely) completely off in my usage, **so I would like to state here and now** that I have little-to-no knowledge over the Chinese language. It just seemed weird to be addressing the characters with Japanese suffixes (them being Chinese and all). **I also thought** it would help distinguish between who is Japanese and who is Chinese.

**That said**, here is a list of prefixes/suffixes I use:  
shè- prefix for younger family members  
-xiānshēng equivalent of mister; I am not sure if this is a suffix but I used it as such  
-jī suffix for a female friend

**Other**:  
xiáoér – means "my son"  
yān yǎn-jūn – (from the first chapter) my red eyed friend  
sayonara (Japanese) – goodbye

**Anyway**, if I am totally wrong on these, _please_ tell me so I can correct my mistakes!

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**Part 2** – _Flower; The Sky Is Broken_

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_February **28**, **1986**_

Trees rushed past on either side, their colored leaves chasing the train as it went by in a flurry of wind, racing toward the dark clouds that rolled in the sky and leaving behind drenched, open fields that had already succumbed to the awesome power of an afternoon storm. The wind whistled and the sky cracked.

Kon Rei absentmindedly messed with the strands of hair that fell into his face, twisting them around his finger and letting them fall gracefully back into place as he watched her smooth out her own tresses with a certain fondness that only she possessed. She looked lovely, like the gorgeous honeydew flowers that she grew in her garden at home.

She turned to face Rei, her brilliant eyes blinking slowly and her silky black hair curling charmingly at the ends. The corners of her mouth rose into a smile and she tilted her head to the side, her eyes holding Rei's captivatingly. He echoed the movement, following her lead. Giggling softly, she placed the brush that waited in her hand on the table beside her and stepped toward Rei.

Like clouds, her gait made her appear to hover over the ground, her dress flowing back and forth but not making sound. She paused in front of Rei and leaned over, cupping his face in her delicate hands and drawing her rose-colored lips to his ear.

"Come, my darling."

Her voice was a soft whisper; it never rose above such. To most, it was the initiator of shivers and chills, sending excited thrills through the being that she mesmerized. For Rei, it sounded like a whisper of the wind that blew so viciously outside the train, strong but muted, yet it filled him with warmth and he could feel the care that vibrated in the low, sweet tone.

Planting a soft kiss on his cheek, she drew away with a beautiful smile that was only ever directed toward him. She took his hands in her own and gently pulled him off his stool, the sharp tips of her fingernails brushing against the tender skin of his palms. She withdrew one hand from his in order to comb her fingers through his bangs.

Gazing down at him, her smile grew. "Just like mine."

Rei brightened, glowing at what he considered to be a compliment. His smile grew as well, showing off pearly white teeth, and he leaned against her, burying his face in the front of her dress and breathing in the wonderful, flowery smell that accompanied her everywhere she went.

She continued to comb her fingers through his lengthening hair for a moment longer, sighing blissfully. Then the moment was up and she removed her hand from Rei's hair, the action signaling for him move as well so they could leave. Though she knew he would follow, her hand never left Rei's, squeezing slightly every now and then.

The hallway of the train was brighter than the room, and Rei rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the sudden intensity. The only other two people in the hall were the doormen and their eyes were on the woman and Rei, having not much more than the dreary outside to look at. The entire car was theirs; what normally may have been three, maybe four, crammed compartments had been made into large rooms for the upper class.

Rei's eyes were on her; he watched her now impassive face as they made their way to one side of the hallway. She smiled a fake, cold smile at the doorman as he politely opened the door for them, and they made their way onto the little bridge that connected the two train cars. The air whipped around them, blowing the fabric of her skirt around Rei, but she did not let go of his hand to smooth it.

On the other side, they passed yet another doorman, but this one was greeted with a small nod as an understanding was passed between him and the woman. When he was sure no one else was coming, he reached into his coat and removed a pistol, handing it to her, while the doorman at the other end watched silently.

Music wafted through the closed room door in the car and it was to that door that she headed rather than to the other exit, taking Rei with her. Stopping in front it, she gave Rei an elegant wink, and then opened it.

A man was pacing inside, but he spun around to face the door as it opened. His room was dark, save for the small lamp that glowed in the corner, and it took him a minute to make out the two dark forms that stood in his doorway. Two gleaming pairs of golden eyes were on him. He took several steps back, gasping as he recognized the womanly figure, eyes darting between her and the child.

"Y-You!" he exclaimed, bumping in to the wall behind him.

"Oh, my dear, do not be alarmed," she answered, though her voice was as quiet as a whisper. She took two steps into the room, hiding the hand with the pistol behind her back. "We have only come to say hello."

The man glanced over her shoulder into the hallway, searching.

Letting out a soft, rich laugh, she shook her head at him. "No worries. My friends are not here."

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, some courage flowing back into him. His eyes fell back to Rei and they widened considerably. "Is he…?"

She knelt next to Rei, wrapping an arm around his tiny waist and pulling him against her. "Gorgeous, isn't he?"

"He looks like you," the man said softly. His eyes roamed over Rei's dainty features briefly before he abruptly shut them, wincing at some thought running through his head. When he opened them again, they were full of fear and fixed firmly on the woman. "I'm sorry for leaving. I was… I was afraid."

She pulled Rei closer to her, a sardonic smile appearing on her face. "Afraid? Afraid of what? Or whom? My friends? My family? Or me?"

The man swallowed uneasily, not sure of what to say. "I was afraid of…" He faltered, stumbling over his own words before bursting out with, "We were young! What did you expect of me?"

A cynical laugh, louder than anything Rei had ever heard from her mouth. He turned confused eyes to her, wondering why she was being so loud. She kissed him on the cheek first then took his small hands and placed the pistol in them. Gently, she combed her fingers through his hair again, pulling the strands away from his ear so she could whisper to him as he stared at the black object in his hands.

"Young, darling, that is what he tells us. Standing before you is the man that left us, the man who did not care enough to stay and watch you grow. He is the reason you have to be alone whenever I must leave. But unlike me, he never returns, nor does he care to. That is the reason we have sought him out, my lovely child."

Rei glared at the sweating man standing nervously before him. This man was the cause of all his mother's sadness, the cause of her broken heart and the thick tears that ran down her cheeks when she thought no one was watching. All Rei wanted was for her to be happy.

Lifting the pistol, Rei leveled it at the man, fingers curling around the cold, black metal. At this, the man's eyes widened even more and he pressed himself flat against the wall behind him.

"You've taught him-!" he gasped, breath coming faster now. "How could you have taught him such things at his age?"

"He is a child of my clan, despite _you_," she replied. A smooth, faint laugh made its way past her lips. "Aren't you proud of him?"

"Don't do this!" the man cried.

"Go ahead, xiáoér," she whispered in Rei's ear, smirking. "He needs to be punished."

The pistol went off, though its shout was quieted by a bold crack of thunder. Rei watched in slight amazement as the man jerked, but frowned upon realizing the bullet had missed its intended target. He looked to his mother for advice. She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his small frame, her hands clasping over his and helping him aim at the now crying, trapped man, one arm limp and covered in blood.

Her aim was perfect, catching the man in the chest, straight through the heart. He gave a short, strangled scream, and then collapsed to the floor with a choked cough.

She and Rei sat absolutely still for a brief moment, their eyes on the lifeless figure. When she was sure the man was dead, she wrapped her arms tightly around Rei, hugging him close. Rei stared in wonder at the dead man, heart beating wildly.

This was his first time to kill.

"Come, shè-Rei, we are not done yet," she said softly in his ear, removing the pistol from his hands and standing up. She smiled down at Rei affectionately, but the smile was shadowed by something Rei could not understand.

They stepped into the hall, the woman closing the door to the room quietly, muffling the already dim music that still played inside. The two doormen stood patiently at their posts, but appeared ready for what was to happen next, and now another man was present in the small hallway. He approached the woman and Rei with a ghostly grin.

"Liang-xiānshēng is waiting for your young bird. I take it that your business went as planned?" the man asked, his gaze slowly moving to the closed door.

"Of course," she replied, tipping her head slightly and peering through her long lashes.

"He did well?"

"Of course."

The man smirked and lifted a hand to brush against Rei's cheek. "Yes, you will be perfect, dear child."

Rei smiled at the man, beaming at the statement. He tried so hard to win approval from this man. Shèng-Yen was the head of the clan, and he had taken a special interest in Rei when Rei was at a very young age. He had chosen to educate Rei himself, with the assistance of Rei's mother, of course.

"Gan! Erii! Go now and do what you have been told!" Yen commanded suddenly, withdrawing his hand from Rei. The two other men raced out the door Rei and his mother had come through earlier. Yen turned back to the woman, his face now hard and determined. "Send the child ahead, Jie-jī. We must speak alone."

Jie squeezed Rei's hand reassuringly and gently pushed him in the direction of the other door. "Wait for me in the next car. Be quiet, xiáoér, and do not draw attention to yourself."

As much as Rei wanted to stay with them, he reluctantly nodded and walked off, wondering if he flowed like his mother. With one last glance at the two in the hallway, he opened the door and stepped onto the little platform between the two train cars. The wind whipped around him like before, but he was quick in getting into the next car.

It was even brighter in this car, and Rei squinted at the brightness, listening to the abrupt noise of metal silverware against china plates and friendly chatter between other passengers as they ate their dinner. Rei scanned the tables, looking for an empty one to wait at for his mother. His eyes fell upon a small figure sitting alone.

Moving closer, Rei could see the reflection of the figure in the window. Amused by the bored expression on the boy's face, Rei quietly slipped toward him, careful not make a noise. He soundlessly slid into the chair across from the boy, staring at the boy's reflection in the glass window.

It was a moment before the boy finally shifted his eyes to Rei's own reflection and his face twisted into confusion at first before he turned away from the window. The boy blinked stupidly at Rei for a split second before schooling his features into a blank expression, impressing Rei with his swift ability to do such.

They stared in silence at each other for a moment, both studying the other. Oddly amused by the boy, Rei cocked his head to the side and smiled in the same way his mother did. This was the first time he had really seen any other child other than his friends at home, and this boy was certainly not like them. Something about this boy just seemed different.

The boy smiled back after a few slow blinks, an unsure smile. The uncertainty of it made Rei smile wider.

So entranced was Rei with this other boy that he did not notice his mother had returned until she leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Come, my darling. We do not have time to play anymore. It will soon be over."

Rei tore his eyes away from the other boy as his mother took his hand and drew him out of the seat, leading him away. He glanced over his shoulder and briefly smiled at the other boy before turning his eyes up to Jie, warmth spreading over him as she smiled down at him. Yet, even when they reached the other side of the dining car, Rei could still feel the other boy's eyes on him.

Soon, though, they were once more being pushed by the wind before taking refuge inside another train car. They went through a few more doors, annoying Rei more and more as his hair tangled behind him, but Jie would occasionally squeeze his hand tenderly, making him feel better. Finally, they reached the train car that was right before an old caboose, used mainly for appearance.

The man blocking the door to the caboose held up his hands to stop them. "I'm sorry, miss, but this is as far as you can go."

Jie tilted her head to the side and smiled a small, charming smile tinted with a touch of false confusion. "Oh, is it? I was told I could show my little darling the red car."

The man smiled apologetically at the beautiful Jie. "I'm really sorry. Whoever told you that was lying to you."

Jie kneeled down beside Rei, brushing his wind blasted hair from his face. "I'm sorry, xiáoér. We have been tricked."

Her eyes spoke more than her words, encouraging Rei to use what she had taught him. He lowered his eyes to the floor, hanging his head dejectedly and sniffling. Jie pulled him into a hug, holding him affectionately as she pet his long hair. To the man it looked like a mother comforting her upset child, and it broke his heart to see children upset.

"All right, all right," he said at last, breaking hesitantly. "As long as you don't tell, I won't."

Rei jerked away from his mother and grinned at the doorman excitedly, wiping away pretend tears. A soft laughter that only he heard flowed from his mother as she stood, and the two exchanged mischievous and identical smirks when the doorman's back was to them.

"Now, it should be safe, but if anything looks questionable, don't go near it," the doorman was saying, getting out his keys to unlock the door. "Especially the floor. This thing is old. They don't even use cabooses anymore, but this train is supposed to look like the ones they used back when…"

He rambled on, unaware his topic was not of any interest to the mother and child. As soon as the door was unlocked and opened, he stepped onto the little bridge, unguarded by handle bars like the others, to unlock the caboose. He was surprised to find that Rei followed him out. Before he could speak a warning about the danger, Rei snatched the keys from his hands.

"Hey! Give those back," the man cried angrily. He reached for Rei, but he stumbled as Rei pushed past him to the caboose's door. Losing his balance, adrenaline pumping in his veins, he reached for anything he could.

The fingers on his left hand clutched fabric while his right arm still flailed about wildly. He looked up to see that he was holding on to a handkerchief; Jie was holding on to the other side of it. The man's feet rocked dangerously on the tip of the bridge, so he swung his right hand around to get help.

Rei unlocked and opened the caboose's door. He turned around to his mother just in time to see her let go of the handkerchief. The loss of another grip on it caused the man to fall backward, the fingers of his right hand a hair's breath from latching on to Jie.

With a horrified cry, the man fell in between the two cars and, after being thrashed about, disappeared underneath the caboose.

Rei's eyes followed the man impassively until he was gone, but then a childish glee lit up in them. He smiled merrily at his mother and extended his small hand to her, which she took with a pleased smile of her own and the two of them continued on into the caboose.

It was dusty inside the caboose and dark. The duo did not mind; they simply walked straight to the back of the caboose where one last door stood in their way. Beyond it was a small step area and beyond that was the open air that followed the train. It was here that they waited.

The first tremble was tiny and would have gone unnoticed by anyone else, but Rei's senses had been the main focus of many of his teachings. He curled closer to his mother, who, in turn, wrapped her arms around him protectively. The second tremble was much more obvious and it was then that the metallic screeching started.

Out of nowhere, a van appeared beside the steps that led up to Rei and Jie. It kept pace with the braking train, the slide door on its side opening. A figure crouched in its doorway, and, when he caught Rei's eye, he grinned widely, opening his arms invitingly. Rei lit up in delight and, as soon as he felt Jie's arms around him loosen, he drew away from his mother to rush down the steps.

The train still trembled terribly, the screeching getting closer and closer. A small distance was between Rei on the steps and the man in the van now. He jumped it easily, being caught by the man, who held him tight and drew him deeper inside the van while another occupant took his place to help Jie in.

Soon, the door was closed and the driver slowed the van, letting the train get farther ahead. Rei was excitedly telling the man that held him about everything that had happened when he felt a soft, smooth hand gently take his chin and direct his attention toward the front of the van to look out its windshield.

The train ahead jerked viciously onto its side and plummeted to the muddy ground in a loud crash, sliding farther and tearing up the wet grass beneath it. Sparks flew, metal crunched, and horrible sounds of a great mechanism dying filled the air before the train came to jolting halt at last.

The van slowly came upon the disaster, resting at a stop only a few meters away. Rain splattered onto the windshield and, for a brief moment, all was quiet in the van. Then everyone moved hastily, pulling out pistols, swords, and other weapons from under their coats and exiting the van with big, black umbrellas. Rei was set aside and watched the others quietly.

"You all know what to do. No survivors," a commanding voice called out.

Yen's eyes roamed authoritatively over the group of adults, but when they fell on Rei, they softened considerably and he beckoned Rei to him. Rei smiled and eagerly trotted forward, hopping over puddles of mud in a childish, yet graceful, way.

As soon as Rei was close, Yen ran his hands through the silky, raven hair that was a bit dampened by stray drops of rain. "You stay with your mother and I tonight, child."

As appealing as that sounded – it was a great honor to be with Yen while he worked – Rei could not help glancing at the man who he always went with; the same man who had caught him when he jumped from the train.

Yen caught the glance and he laughed softly, still gently stroking Rei's hair. "Do not fret, child. Motomiya-san will understand. You are to become great, and in order to do so, you must be with the best. Now, stay close."

Rei nodded somewhat reluctantly, sending another longing look toward Motomiya Daisuke, who noticed and flashed him another happy grin. The action cheered him up momentarily.

The rain attacked the large umbrella that Rei struggled to keep in his grasp. He felt like the wind was trying to blow it from his tiny fingers as he attempted to follow Yen and Jie through the mud toward the train. Screams from passengers who had survived filled the air along with gunshots, but they were drowned out by the storm.

The sound of water rushing reached Rei's ears, though faint, and he looked from under the brim of his umbrella toward a river that raged farther ahead. The lightening flashed, blinding him for a quick moment, but then he saw the large object that protruded from the river onto the bank and then onto the torn up ground beside the railroad tracks; the train.

The three of them were still a good distance from the river when they stopped – Yen always had a dislike for large bodies of water. Rei reached up and took Jie's hand. He was getting tired and wanted to lean against her, but that would mean leaning into the rain. She and Yen spoke about the night's events as more and more of their clan began to gather around the trio after completing the task of executing all survivors.

Rei sighed, hardly listening to the adult chatter, and began to look around at the damage done. The train looked absolutely awful, twisted and crushed in several places. He could not help feeling a little sorry for the victims inside. Minutes flew past, long, tedious minutes. What were they waiting for, and why did they have to wait in the rain? The van was much, much drier and warmer in Rei's opinion, but then maybe he was missing something important.

A faint cough.

It startled Rei. He perked up immediately, listening harder to the noises that rose above the howling wind and harsh tones of the adults.

Another cough.

Catching the direction that the sound came from this time, Rei whipped his head around to look behind him, back toward the river. He was surprised to see a small figure huddled close the ground and went to tug at his mother's hand, but then he recognized the figure as the boy that had been in the dining car.

The same feeling that had fluttered through Rei before danced through him now, and he jerked away from his mother. He ran to the boy, careful with his steps to make sure he did not slide in the mud. Jie started to protest, but he was too excited to hear her.

Rei approached the hunched form of the boy quietly, and stood over the boy, holding out his hand for the boy to take. He watched the other blink slowly, as if surprised about something. Then deep red eyes, almost black in the darkness of the night, lifted to meet his own, and the fluttering feeling returned. They stared at each other silently, and then the boy took the offered hand and Rei helped him up.

Knowing his mother had an umbrella, Rei handed his own over to the boy. Behind him, he could hear the rest of the clan whispering, their voices carried by the wind. Their voices were disapproving of his actions, and it made him wonder if what he was doing was wrong. It didn't feel wrong; he liked the other boy enough that he wanted to be friends.

Still, he had to go back.

"Sayonara, my red-eyed friend," Rei murmured, the foreign word strange on his tongue, and flashed the other boy a quick smile before dashing away in the rain, returning to his mother's side. He took her hand, not noticing the scolding look she gave him because his eyes were still on the other boy, who was watching them now.

"Should we kill him?" someone asked quietly.

Yen studied Rei before moving his gaze to the muddied boy. "He survived the crash. From his appearance, I would say he was in the front half of the train."

Yen seemed to think about this for a time. He took in a deep breath, turned, and began to walk back to the van.

"We'll leave him here. If he can survive the night, then he deserves to live."


	3. My Weakness

**Rating**: _R due to "graphic nature"_

**Major Pairing(s) for this chapter**: _Kai/Rei (M/M)_

**Minor Pairing(s) for this chapter**: _Kai/Takao (M/M)_

**Disclaimer**: _I do not own Beyblade or its characters._

This chapter is a little rocky and shifty, so beware. I really do not know much about the Japanese culture, especially not about their law enforcement, so I probably have quite a few things off. I know it seems like I am not doing any research for this fic, but I am! I truly am trying to make it… well, not shit.

**Chinese Used**:  
shèng- prefix indicating holiness; I took this one to be like "-sama"  
-dàren suffix for a higher ranked official  
-jūn suffix for a male friend  
-jī or -gūniang suffix for a female friend

This chapter also has Japanese honorifics.

The Agency is not real (as if you thought it was). I am not sure why I am using the names from the Japanese version, but I am. This chapter also explains… nothing. Also, Kai's bird is a _Sunconure_. Picture: http/www. velocity. net/jenee/images/SunConure. jpg (remove spaces)

**Again, pay attention to dates**, otherwise the story will be quite confusing. I even baffle myself when writing it as I forget when I dated something.

-----

**Part 3** – _My Weakness_

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_September 12, **2002** - Monday_

Faces stared down the deserted, darkened hallway, lifeless faces that almost glowed in the moonlight streaming through large, glass windows. Some were rough to the touch; others were smooth. It depended on their creator. Was he violent with his brush strokes? Was she graceful with hers? Faces, so many faces, all watching and waiting with empty happiness, with false anger. Their emotions were merely reflections of someone real.

Heavy foot falls echoed through the halls, reverberating off the walls. Sharp, deep gasps of breath and the chime-like rustle of metal rose with the lopsided gait – he was limping. Eventually, he appeared at the end of the hallway, falling against the stone wall and leaning over with his hands on his knees, face red from running and still gasping for air.

A small trail of blood led away from him, trickling from his left leg. He was an overweight man, late fifties and completely bald. His uniform hung to his sweat covered body like a tight body suit, a ring of keys around his belt. He winced, unwanted tears of pain gathering in his eyes. His leg burned like it was on fire.

Whimpering quietly, he pushed away from the wall, leaving a red handprint on it and a small puddle of blood on the floor. He searched the hallway frantically, eyes darting about nervously. Where were they? Had they finally left, or would they return to finish him off?

He walked, limped, as quietly as he could down the hallway, too afraid to run again for fear that he would run straight into his pursuers' hands. It was so eerily quiet, so entirely creepy with all the paintings watching him, mocking and laughing at him silently. Too quiet, it was simply too quiet.

A shadow moved here, and another was cast there… Where were they hiding? He had no means of defending himself anymore. They had destroyed his handgun, as well as his associates, with simple flicks of their wrists. He was an aging man; surely they would not care about him?

The pain was incredible. The fire had moved from his calf to his thigh like poison, making him cry out and collapse to the floor. The noise seemed so loud against the silence. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he jerked his head around to make sure no one was following him, even though he knew they _were_ following him. They stalked him from the shadows, watching, waiting.

Heart beating wildly, he broke into choked sobs. He was not ready for death, not yet. He had grandchildren that were waiting for him to return home unscathed, return home from another unexciting night of guarding the museum. Nothing ever happened; no one wanted to break into such a boring place.

Until now. The full realization of it had not quite reached him until he had seen those three agents get slaughtered earlier in the hour.

The smooth sound of fabric sliding reached his ears and he lifted tear-glazed, terrified eyes to the dark figure of the cement statue before him. Landing without a sound, a person crouched on the very tip of the statue, balancing effortlessly. Momentarily, the man wondered if he was staring at some sort of cat-human hybrid. What seemed to be pointed ears were perched above two glowing yellow eyes, a tail swinging back and forth below.

Then the person moved into the moonlight, gliding easily off the statue and onto the tiled floor, never once making a sound. Now the old guard could really see his stalker: a young man with his long bangs pushed up by a small, but thick, ribbon-like band, causing the bangs to stick out and creating the allusion of the ears. The rest of his hair, which was also considerably long, was tied and wrapped into a thick cord and flowed behind him with every step he took.

The guard tried to scoot away, but the pain in his leg was too much. All he could do was sit, bleeding, and wait as the young man approached him, appearing to float over the ground. He tried, but he could not hear the steps of the man, making him wonder if he was delirious from the loss of blood.

No, not delirious. The man was before him, standing over him. He could see everything plainly now: a simple outfit that allowed grace and rested over a sleek, feminine looking body, the silky, white material glowing in the moonlight. Slender hands with nails sharpened to a deadly point, and pearly white teeth that looked sharp in the dim light when the man tilted his head to the side and smiled.

"Don't kill me," the guard begged hoarsely, reaching out to take the man's hand. "Please! I'm just the security watch! I can't do any harm!"

The man kneeled down in front of the guard, lifting his free hand to cover the guard's hand that grasped so tightly to his own.

"Please!" the guard pleaded. "I have a family…"

A gentle squeeze.

"I don't want to die, not tonight," he continued, blubbering. "I don't want to die here, alone. I don't want to die…"

"Shh," the man whispered, his voice barely audible. "It will be quick."

A trail of shivers ran down the guard's spine at the words. He watched the young man's face with trepidation, watched those yellow eyes slowly lift to something – _someone_ – standing behind him. Heart pounding in his ears, he slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder.

His eyes widened in terror; he barely had time to scream.

-----

_Tuesday_

With a frightened cry for help, Hiwatari Kai sat straight up in his bed, hand reaching forward to catch the person from his dream that danced just beyond his fingertips. The blackness of the night melted into his gray walls as he slowly began to recognize his bedroom. The terrified screams that haunted his dreams died into the scream of the alarm clock beside his bed.

Kai breathed in deeply to calm his nerves, and then exhaled with a sigh. He slowly pulled his extended hand back to him, unclenching the other that grasped at the fabric over his chest.

The memory had been so much more real that time, the glares more intense and the cold spears of the rain more painful. The terror etched in the unfamiliar faces seemed more vivid and harder to bear, and the mud was deeper, slipperier.

A crack of thunder echoed outside, a hazy fog covering the windows. Kai closed his eyes and willed away the memory from his conscious mind with a shudder. The dread that had gathered in his chest while he was asleep was gone by now, leaving only a trace of its terror and the promise of more in the coming night.

Suddenly noticing the noise of the alarm clock, Kai swiftly turned it off, causing the room to be enveloped in silence. He stared at the plain red numbers glowing in the gray of the morning, his thoughts drifting elsewhere. He began to tremble as he remembered something, something highly important that had kept him awake for the better part of the night and most likely brought about the nightmare when he finally fell asleep.

A loud squawk and flutter of feathers at Kai's feet drew him from his dark thoughts, his anxiety disappearing for the moment. Kai's eyes drifted to the bird, which had apparently found a way to escape from its cage… _again_. Its beady, black eyes stared back at Kai briefly before pecking sharply at his toes underneath the sheet.

"Ow! Get back to your damn cage, bird!" Kai growled, jerking his feet closer to his body as he scooted backwards and waved his hands at the bird. It only opened its beak threateningly and attempted to bite Kai's hands as they swung by.

Kai sighed and leaned back against the wall. He watched the bird slowly began to walk toward him, pausing in front of him to let out another squawk, though much softer and more inquiring than the first one. It tilted its head to the side and blinked at Kai expectantly.

A faint hint of a smile flashed across Kai's face, and he, giving in to the little beast, slid out of bed to get it some food. As he walked out his bedroom doorway, it flew after him and landed on his shoulder, taking Kai's earlobe in its beak and tugging gently.

"Stop that," Kai murmured, brushing the bird with his hand. It followed the hand with an open beak until the hand drifted back down Kai's side.

When Kai entered the kitchen, he first looked to the birdcage that hung in one corner, frowning when he saw that the thin strip of fabric he had found and used to tie the cage shut the night before was ripped in half. He turned his head to glare at the bird, but it stood arrogantly on his shoulder, ignoring him.

Shaking his head, Kai made his way to a locked cabinet where he kept the bird food – the bird could break into any of the unlocked cabinets if it wanted. He retrieved a small dish from beside the sink and poured the food into it, setting it down on the table. The bird leapt from his shoulder to it at once.

Another small smile graced Kai's face as he watched it eat. There were times when the thing certainly got on his nerves, but it was nice to have the entertaining company when he woke up in the morning after a sleep bothered by hateful dreams.

Glancing at a clock on the wall, Kai's smile faded. He needed to leave for work in twenty minutes, and the idea of going there reminded him of his earlier thoughts before being distracted by the bird. He was torn between the hard curiosity that urged him to get to work as soon as possible and the frightened part of him that recalled the memories of his childhood. Did he truly want to know what had happened?

_Yes_, Kai thought, and a numb feeling spread through him. _I have to know_.

-----

The building was tall, taller than any of the ones that surrounded it, and it stood out against their bleak and faded bricks like a sharp shard of gleaming metal. Its windows were large and so clean that they sparkled in the morning sun, but were blocked by dark shades on the inside. Its doors were guarded to keep its contents safe from the public. It wanted to be unseen.

But the building stood out among the older and unimportant ones. Everyone knew why it was there and who it belonged to, so passerby's would pause briefly on the sidewalk in front of it to let their eyes drift over its smooth surface as they wondered what sort of thing was happening on the inside; wondered how much the Agency kept from them.

-----

The office was crowded when Kai stepped off the elevator, but it was quieter than usual. Various agents from other departments had come to their floor, hoping to get their opinions on what they expected to hear at nine that morning. They were, after all, the homicide unit. They were expected to have better guesses than any other department in the Agency.

Some gazes shifted to Kai as he walked toward his desk, but most continued to whisper quietly amongst their groups. They were all as anxious as Kai, checking their watches every minute to see how much longer they had to wait. The room felt heavy with fear and it seemed that everyone in it shivered as one entity.

There was already somebody sitting in Kai's chair when he made it to his desk. The person looked up and offered a small smile to Kai, his hand freezing in mid turn of a page inside of one of Kai's files. "Hey," he greeted, his voice as soft as all the others. "You're late."

"I know," Kai replied, eyes narrowing. "Get out of my chair."

Kinomiya Takao chuckled lightly and slowly rose from the chair, stretching his arms above his head and yawning, ignoring Kai's annoyed glare.

"I've asked you not to dig through my stuff," Kai snapped as he dropped into his chair. He closed the file on his desk and swiftly put it back to where it was before, safely locked away. Well, not too safe, as Takao had been able to access it.

"Don't give me a key," Takao said with a grin, and reseated himself on the side of Kai's desk. "I was looking for those photo records on the Hans case since you seem to forget that we're partners and that we're supposed to _share_ information."

Kai simply opened his locked drawer again and pulled out an envelope, tossing it to Takao without saying a word.

"Thank you, my generous friend. I can see my therapy has been working. You're only a few days late this time," Takao joked. Kai still did not respond. Takao began to trace his finger over the words written in big red letters across the envelope, his eyes dropping from Kai. "So… What do you think?"

There was a pause before Kai snapped, "What do I think about what?"

Takao jerked his head up to give Kai his own irritated glare. "You know _what_. Don't be an ass."

"Don't dig through my stuff," Kai answered coldly. They glared at each other momentarily, and then a grin broke across Takao's face and Kai shook his head in exasperation. "I'm not sure what to think. I want to expect they did well, but I feel as if I know they didn't."

"Yeah, I feel the same way," Takao admitted. "I hope everyone's okay and the White Tigers are out of commission for good, but deep down inside, I think we got screwed."

_The White Tigers_…

The nickname drifted through Kai's mind with an eerie ring, making his entire body tense. He glanced at the clock on his desk. _It's time…_

The elevator doors opened and everyone in the room fell quiet. A man with an old, hard face stepped out, cold eyes drifting across the room, jumping from face to face. They were all staring expectantly at him, waiting to hear what happened. While none of them were given details, they were at least allowed the knowledge that the agents on the White Tiger case were to be waiting at the museum for the White Tigers, something the public would not know until after the event took place.

Clearing his throat, the man began:

"As you all know, the Agency recently received information related to the Chinese assassin group and their next strike. That strike, as you have been told, was to be last night at the North City Art Museum. Unfortunately, they must have learned that we were to be there, for they were expecting us. Last night's raid was a failure."

There were a few gasps, but most simply hung their heads. It was expected; the White Tigers always seemed to win.

"We lost a lot of men. Their deaths will be grieved," the man made this comment with a bored expression and empty voice, as if honestly uncaring about his coworkers' deaths. However, when he continued, his voice caught a strange sort of delight that most bosses get when admonishing their employees. "I have noticed that a lot of you are not in the correct department. I trust that you will return to your proper places and that this failure will go through none of your minds for the rest of the week, considering it has nothing to do with your own jobs."

The man gave them a hard stare before turning back to the elevator to leave. Even when he was gone the room was silent, and those that did not belong to the homicide branch of the Agency departed. Those who did, including Takao and Kai, went back to their desks and continued their work quietly.

Another defeat. They were all thinking about it, despite what they had been told to do. How could they not think about it? Were they supposed to ignore the fact that their friends and coworkers had been murdered? Were they expected to think that the White Tiger case was just like any other case, because it most certainly was not.

_The White Tigers_… The name, given to the assassins by the press, kept passing through Kai's mind as he tried to concentrate on his own case. It seemed fictional, in a strange way. It was a name that had become the Agency's nemesis, and come to make people cringe in fear at the sound of it. Yet it was so much more than just a name; it was pain, it was terror, and it, so far, had grown to be an unreachable goal for Kai.

He had been following the case as best he could for the past fifteen years, but the Agency never told the press anything worth value, which was why Kai had joined the Agency in the first place. He had hoped to get more information, and he did, but not enough to count. Those that were working on the White Tiger case were not allowed to discuss the case with anyone not working on it.

It was boring and uneventful, having to work on cases that were unimportant to him, but he remained at the Agency in hopes of one day hearing… well, _something_. Kai was not sure what he wanted to know, just that he wanted to know it.

An envelope landed in the middle of Kai's desk, startling him. It was the same he had given to Takao earlier. He looked up sharply to see Takao standing over him with an uneasy smile. "What now?"

"Well, I know you've already heard bad news today, but…" Takao drifted off, considering his words.

"Well?"

Takao took a deep breath. "Ah, well… you see, Takenouchi-san is…"

"Whatever he needs help with, forget it," Kai said harshly, grabbing the envelope and moving to put it away.

"But he asked for us, Kai."

"He asked for us?" Kai frowned accusingly at Takao. "Damn it, Kinomiya, that is your fault. You're always volunteering us, even when we're already busy with something else. You've made friends with that old bastard and now he's going to want us every time he goes into a paranoia attack."

"That _old bastard_ pays a lot of money to have us sit with him," Takao said defensively. He folded his arms stubbornly and looked away from Kai's piercing eyes. "Besides, it's not like we're busy _this_ time. What would it hurt?"

Kai lifted a hand to rub his temples, sighing deeply. "Takao…"

Takao sighed as well and sat down on the corner of Kai's desk. "Kai, the man is old and he's losing his rational thought. We've had to baby-sit him enough times that he trusts us now. And it would be good for you to get out."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kai demanded, narrowing his eyes.

"What do you think? I know you coop yourself up in that apartment with that hateful bird whenever you're not working. I know all you do is think about _them_, and that's not healthy," Takao replied firmly, finally looking Kai in the eye again. He gave a small grin when Kai looked away. "I think you'd have fun with this. You don't seem like the type to go to a party on your own incentive, but once there, you could have fun."

"Wait. Party? Explain."

"Oh, didn't you know? It's his wife's birthday this Friday," Takao said, his grin going from small to wide. "He's going to have a big celebration for her, and is convinced that his 'stalker' is going to attack during it."

They stared at one another.

"Forget it."

Takao gave an aggravated cry, drawing the attention of a few other agents. "Come _on_, Kai! Don't be an ass!"

"Forget it."

"Kaaaii," Takao whined. He grabbed the armrests of Kai's chair and stared at his partner with a most pathetic expression. "Come on, Kai. Please?"

It was a battle of wits, Kai kept telling himself, but with Takao looking at him like that, making him feel incredibly guilty, he caved. "Ugh. Fine. I'll go."

"All right!" Takao, arms shooting into the air, exclaimed, gaining a few glares from the people around them. He grinned triumphantly at Kai. "You see, Hiwatari, _this_ is why we're partners. Not even a sour ass like you could possibly resist my charm."

Kai scowled. "Don't push your luck. You're supposed to be getting me those video files for the Hans case, so unless you want to get fired before Friday even gets here, you had better hurry up."

"Right, right," Takao muttered, waving Kai's statement off with his hand as he turned to leave.

"And Takao?"

Takao paused. "Yeah?"

"My bird is not hateful."

Takao snorted resentfully. "What_ever_. Oh, that reminds me. It's a costume party, so pick something fun."

And with that, he was gone, ignoring Kai's furious shouts for him to come back.

-----

_Wednesday_

The wind brushed against the trees, causing a rain of orange, yellow, and brown to follow it. The leaves scuttled across the ground, dancing in little whirls of wind and adding color to the fading green of the grass. The colors were beautiful together, and the wind blew just perfectly for an autumn day. It was his favorite time of the year.

Dressed in the usual white flow of material, his long hair swaying with the breeze, Rei looked like a ghost wandering amongst the trees. An expression of despondency graced his features, his eyes as dim as the hidden sun. He sighed every few steps, the normal grace of his stride now jerky and languid, but still light enough to prevent from crushing the leaves.

He came to a field that was surrounded by the trees on three sides, opening into another, larger field on the fourth. The wind had pushed the colorful leaves all across the clearing, and Rei's eyes fell to the ground where more leaves rolled past him to join the others. Another sigh escaped him before he pressed on.

In the middle of the clearing a small marble stone rested, words etched into its surface. Rei dropped informally beside it, not choosing to be refined at the moment. He stared at the stone, subconsciously lifting a hand to brush against his cheek where an unseen bruise lay. It hurt when touched, but Rei did not care about the pain.

He drew the hand away from his face to examine it with vacant eyes. Filling with hate, his hand curled into a fist, and he slammed it onto the ground with an anguished cry. The sound vibrated across the clearing, startling birds from their perches. Then it was quiet again, and the wind seemed to be holding its breath, everything watching the figure in the clearing.

Rei fell back in the leaves that lay on the ground, staring at the gray whisks of clouds in the sky, eyes once more vacant, lifeless. He was vaguely aware of the footsteps coming toward him, of the leaves crunching under the heavy feet of those who were not trained to be as delicate as him. The barest of shadows fell over him, but he did not acknowledge the two new comers.

"You shouldn't be out here," one said, but made no move to bring Rei back to his feet.

"You should never go out alone," the other said, her voice wavering between the coldness of a partner in crime and the worry of a friend.

"He'll get angry at you for wandering off," continued the first, a tinge of fear hidden behind the words.

"He'll be mad if you get dirty, lying on the ground like that," the other reprimanded.

"You shouldn't be out here," the first repeated. "He doesn't like it when you come out here."

Rei still had not moved, the rise and fall of his chest being the only thing that convinced the two that he was indeed alive. They glanced at each other, and then sat down beside Rei, watching his face for emotion. The second lifted her hand to brush against Rei's cheek.

"He didn't mean it, you know," she whispered. "You angered him, is all. You're still his favorite. You're still his son."

She didn't have time to react. Rei caught her hand as he sat up, faster than either of the two had expected. They both looked surprised by this sudden movement, and then shocked at the hatred burning in Rei's eyes, startled by the growl that rose in his throat.

"Don't ever say that again," Rei said in a deathly quiet voice filled with so much venom that it made the other two shiver. He squeezed her hand, forcing the bones closer together and making her cry out.

"Rei-jūn! You're hurting me!" she gasped, trying to wrench her hand free.

Rei's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I am _not_ his son."

"Rei-dàren! Please stop! Stop it now!"

A hand reached for Rei, but he quickly let go of the girl's hand and leaned away before it could grab him. He finally acknowledged the presence of the other man, glaring at him coldly. The man stared back at him in a mixture of alarm and mild anger. The girl cradled her hand against her chest, tears streaming from eyes that stayed warily on Rei.

After a frozen moment, Rei sighed and flopped against the ground again, returning his stare to the clouds. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Mao-jī."

The girl nodded, understanding his sudden outburst. They were becoming more frequent, she had noticed, and more violent. She could tell Rei was having problems keeping his feelings in when in front of the others. Today was a result of such problems. Mao simply wished Rei had chosen someone besides shèng-Yen to break in front of.

The man sitting beside her seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Of all people to snap at… You're going to get in a lot more trouble if you keep this up, Rei-dàren."

"I couldn't help it," Rei groaned, rolling onto his side so that his back was to the two. "He was talking about her like she was still alive, like he had nothing to do with what happened."

"Then ignore him," the man said sharply. "Don't let him get under your skin like that."

"I can't ignore him, Lai-jūn! If I only saw him a couple times a day, maybe I could, but he keeps me around unless he's angry with me." Rei curled tighter into himself. "Sometimes he treats me like a son, but sometimes… Sometimes I feel as if he wants _me_ to be _her_. Like he wants me to take her place."

"What do you mean?" Lai asked. "Take her place? Haven't you already done that?"

"No. I mean, yes, but…" Rei shook his head. "Forget it."

Lai and Mao exchanged equal looks of confusion, but followed Rei's advice and dropped the subject.

"You need to get back," Mao said, gently running her unharmed hand through Rei's hair. "He'll be expecting you. I'm sure he's not angry anymore."

"Yes, perhaps you're right," Rei agreed quietly, yet he still made no movement to leave. "Perhaps he'll be expecting _me_."

-----

_Thursday_

Kai was sitting at his kitchen table, papers spread all across it, when his bird suddenly lifted off of its cage and flew from the room. He glanced at it as it fluttered out, and then stared at the doorway in which had had exited through. He had heard the front door open the moment the bird had taken off, and now he waited expectantly.

He did not have to wait long.

"Ow! Damn it! Get off of me you stupid bird!"

Smirking, Kai went back to his work, listening with amusement to the anguished cries for help coming from the front hallway. A moment later Takao entered, arms waving about his head in feeble attempts to keep the bird from harming him any more than it already had. It easily dodged his strikes and continued to dive at his head.

"Hiwatari!" Takao cried frantically. "Call it off!"

"You didn't knock," Kai replied without looking up from what he was reading.

"You gave me a key!"

Well, that made enough sense. Kai, still not bothering to look up, said sharply, "_Bird_!"

The bird made one last dive at Takao before reluctantly moving away, unwilling to challenge Kai's stern voice. It landed gracefully on the edge of the table next to Kai, eyeing Takao threateningly while Kai moved to stroke its feathers. Takao gave it a dirty look before dropping into the seat across from Kai and studying his hands for any damage that needed to be dealt with immediately.

"Nice bird you got there, Kai," Takao muttered, shooting the bird another glare.

"I've told you before that she doesn't like strangers," Kai mumbled in reply as he jotted something down on a notepad.

"I come here every week now, and I used to come here every day! How am I still a stranger?" Takao demanded.

Kai merely shrugged. "I'm not a bird. I wouldn't know. Maybe she just doesn't like you."

Takao mumbled something under his breath. Kai paused in mid-sentence, and then set his pen down. He lifted his head to finally face Takao, looking at his partner firmly over his reading glasses. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Takao said, and quickly changed the subject. "So… Have you found a costume yet?"

Kai motioned toward the doorway with his free hand as he began to write again. "It's in the bedroom."

Takao got up and disappeared for a couple minutes. When he came back, he stared at Kai flatly until Kai looked up at him.

"What?" Kai asked irritably.

"You put a lot of effort into that, didn't you?" Takao said, exasperated. He rolled his eyes and shook his head disappointedly, dropping back into his chair and pulling something from his pocket. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you. Here, I found this in a box of Halloween stuff at my mother's house."

Kai glanced at the small tube of blue face paint that Takao threw onto the table. He scrunched up his nose in disgust. "How old is that?"

"Uh…" Takao looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe a few years? Just use it. It won't hurt you. And don't just put a little dot on your face. _Try_ to do something interesting."

"Whatever."

-----

The room was plain with few items between its white walls. It was a special room nonetheless, one of Yen's favorites to use whenever he spoke to only a few of his men with the intention of sending them on a small, but important, assignment. Yet, he never truly spoke to the men in this room, instead having his most trusted advisor, Yuki Erii, speak for him.

He always sat at the head of the room, face emotionless as he watched the discourse between Erii and the others with an authoritative air. Their eyes would dart between him and Erii, watching him expectantly, anxiously. A childish anxiousness that had them shifting from foot to foot in delighted curiosity. Yen could not help but smirk inwardly at this, admiring his own ability to create such a group.

Rei sat beside him; he always kept his most precious and important member of his warriors beside him. Rei was attentive, perpetually noticing things others did not. A large amount of pride swelled in Yen's chest. Rei was perfect because he had made Rei perfect.

"We realize," Erii started, grabbing the attention of the four occupants besides Yen, Rei, and himself, "that we have already made our strike, but it has been decided that we cannot pass such an open opportunity as the one handed to us tonight.

"It seems as though an old friend has provided us with the occasion to finally get rid of him," Erii continued. "Takenouchi is giving his wife a birthday celebration. Chyou has informed us that the celebration will be large enough that no one will even know we are there."

One member stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with malicious evil. "Will there be anyone from the Agency?"

Erii raised his chin slightly, looking down at her with hard eyes. "Only two. You may do whatever you wish with them."

"Will they be watching for us?" another member asked.

"Chyou says they usually accompany Takenouchi, and are convinced he is merely paranoid. They will not be expecting a thing," Erii said offhandedly. "They'll be nothing for you. We imagine-"

"I want to go."

Everyone jerked their heads around to look at Rei and he stared firmly at Yen, hands gripping the older man's arm tightly.

Yen stared at Rei indifferently. "There is no need. This is a trivial task and not worthy of your time."

"Please," Rei replied, voice at a soft whisper. His grip tightened on the arm he held and his stare changed to one of pleading. "I want to go with them. Please?"

For a long while, they simply stared at each other. Then Yen's gaze finally turned soft, as it always did with Rei. He gently took one of Rei's dainty hands in his own. "Why is it you persist?"

An expression of blushing confusion swept across Rei's features and he bowed his head to avoid Yen's eyes. "I… I just want to go. I feel as if… as if there will be…"

"There will be…?" Yen prompted.

Rei shook his head, a familiar feeling of helplessness taking over him that usually came when Yen questioned him like this. He had a hard enough time understanding his thoughts; why did Yen have to ask him to explain them?

Noticing the defeated way Rei's eyes dimmed, Yen, overcome by a fatherly urge, closed his eyes and nodded.

"You may go, but only to watch."

-----

_Friday_

Kai stepped back from the mirror to look fully at himself. Satisfied, he turned on the faucet and ran his hands under the warm water to remove the blue face paint. It was not much, but at least now he looked like a… well, nothing, though it would have to suffice for the night.

At that thought, Kai groaned. It was going to be such a long night. _Damn Takao_…

"Ow!" Kai jerked his hands away from the water, glaring at the multi-colored bird that sat on the edge of the sink. "Damn hateful bird!"

It squawked at him and tried to peck his blue fingers again, sidling around the edge of the sink for better access. Kai swatted it with one hand, causing it to bounce back with its wings spread. He shot the bird one more glare before returning his attention back to his still faintly blue fingers. Knowing his luck, the stuff would not come off and he wind up at work Saturday with faded blue triangles on his face.

Kai turned off the water and reached for a towel. He glanced at the bird watching him from nearby and flicked his wet hands at it, causing it to ruffle its feathers and shake. Kai smirked and wiped his hands on the towel before flipping off the bathroom light and walking out. The bird flew after him, landing on his shoulder.

The cage in the kitchen had wire resting on top of it, a new ploy to keep the bird in the cage. Kai held his hand up to the bird, and it willingly moved from shoulder to hand, ducking as it went through the door. After closing the door, Kai wrapped the wire around the door and part of the cage, twisting it tightly.

"Stay in your cage," he commanded before tossing a blanket over the cage.

An annoyed squawk came from beneath the blanket.

-----

"You… are a flower."

Takao grinned at Kai, one of his pink petals flopping in front of his face.

"A _big_ flower," Kai continued, eyeing Takao's strange costume.

"I know. Isn't it great? I thought you'd like it," Takao chuckled. He brushed the petal out of his face and inspected Kai's outfit. "Well, not too exciting, but you'll pass this with a high C. In the meantime," Takao threw a leafy arm around Kai's shoulders, "we need to get in there before all the other guests arrive. Wouldn't want to be last."

"Whatever," Kai mumbled, letting Takao lead him toward the decorated manor.

At the door, Takenouchi Yuki and his wife were welcoming the guests, shaking hands and smiling brightly. At least, Takenouchi was. He was an old, thin man with a great bush of gray hair atop his head. His smile wrinkled his eyes and his laugh was booming. She was every bit as thin but quite a bit younger, and her hair was up in neat curls. Her smile was fake and strained, her eyes holding the man beside her in contempt.

Takenouchi's costume was too big for his body. The folds of fabric hung so low that they nearly touched the ground. It was supposed to be an elephant costume, or so Kai guessed. Too large ears were atop his head and a trunk hung off a string around his neck. His wife had a blue dress covered in sequins and one lone blue feather stuck in the curls of her hair. She had put out even less effort than Kai to dress up.

"Good evening gentlemen!" Takenouchi exclaimed when he saw Takao and Kai. "It is good to see the two of you again!"

Kai shot Takao a dirty look at that.

"It's good to see you again, too," Takao greeted back. He, unlike Kai, rather enjoyed the old man's company. The fabric leaves on his arm swished as he shook Takenouchi's hand.

"Why, that is a splendid outfit! Simply splendid! Don't you think so, Chyou?" Takenouchi asked his wife.

She smiled her fake smile. "Splendid."

"And you!" Takenouchi continued cheerfully, turning to Kai. His smile faltered a little as he studied Kai from head to toe. "You… What exactly _are_ you?"

"He's a modern day human shark," Takao supplied quickly. Kai slowly turned his head to look at Takao.

"Oh! Oh, yes! I see it now," Takenouchi said boisterously. "Plain, but definitely creative, don't you think so, dear?"

"Oh yes," she replied dully. "_Creative_."

"Just go on in, boys! Oh, but wait. I'd like to show the two of you Chyou's present before I have them bring it down stairs. Could you meet me at the bottom of the staircase in, oh, thirty minutes?"

"Will do, sir," Takao replied.

"Good, good."

Takenouchi and his wife stepped toward the next guests as Takao and Kai began to walk up the stairs to the open front doors. Kai was still staring at Takao, and Takao, feeling weighted by the stare, stopped just in front of the doors, turning to Kai and demanding irritably, much like Kai had of him several times before, "What is it?"

"A modern day human shark?" Kai asked flatly. "That was the best you could come up with?"

Takao made a frustrated noise before turning back to the doors. "You didn't exactly give me much to work with."

Thirty minutes later found them waiting patiently at the bottom of a decorated staircase. They had spent the thirty minutes by the food table, Takao stuffing his face while everyone complimented him on his costume. Kai had stood nearby, watching in annoyance. Takao still had a plate of food in his hands even as they waited for Takenouchi.

He came bustling up, every bit of lively as he was before. For an old man, he certainly had a lot of energy, and when told so, he often laughed and said, "Why, it's because I have Chyou here to keep me healthy!"

"Gentlemen, good of you to wait. So sorry I'm behind my own schedule. You haven't been waiting long, have you?" Takenouchi asked, shaking both their hands yet again.

"No, we just got here," Takao said around a mouthful. "Haven't been waiting long at all."

"Good, good. Let's head on up, shall we?" Takenouchi asked. He beamed proudly. "I do believe you'll enjoy the gift I am giving Chyou. Simply wonderful, simply wonderful. After you, gentlemen."

He talked the entire way up the stairs, and he did it in that irritating bubbly way that aggravated Kai to no end. While he lingered behind, Takao kept pace with the old man, laughing at the lame jokes and even making some of his own. Kai was glad when they finally reached the top, mostly because it meant the constant jabber would be over with, but partially because listening to Takenouchi had made him slightly curious about the present.

"Chyou is going to love it!" Takenouchi all but squealed. He fumbled with some keys to open a large black door leading into his study. "She will love it!"

"I'm sure she will," Takao replied with a laugh, sending a wink in Kai's direction.

"Yes, yes," Takenouchi chucked. He finally managed to get the right key and unlocked the door with a ceremonious 'click.' "Ah ha! Come in and see, boys! Come in and see!"

Takao and Kai shuffled into the room, eyes almost immediately falling on what was most definitely the present, both amazement and confusion on their faces.

"Oh… It's… beautiful?" Takao offered at last.

"Isn't it? I made it myself," Takenouchi said proudly, moving to stand beside the large, stone statue. "Chiseled it and everything. Of course, an old man like me needed help on occasion, but I did most of it myself."

"What is it?" Kai asked flatly, earning an elbow in the side from Takao.

Takenouchi laughed his booming laugh. "Oh, Hiwatari-san, my dear boy, are your eyes deceiving you? Ah, yes, I suppose you have to be of the extra creative type to see what the art truly forms. You see it, don't you Kinomiya-san?"

"Oh… Oh, yes. Yes, I do," Takao stammered, turning his head to the side to see if he could get a better idea of what ever Takenouchi had carved. He realized then that Takenouchi was going to ask him to explain to Kai what it was, and quickly cut the man off. "Just keep looking at it, Kai. You'll see soon enough. I'd tell you, except I don't want to ruin the surprise."

"Splendid idea! Let him see it for what it is!" Takenouchi exclaimed, throwing an arm around Takao's shoulders. "Well, go on, dear boy," he said to Kai, "Take a few guesses."

"I don't guess," Kai replied, folding his arms and staring hard at the statue. "What is it?"

"All right, I'll tell you!" Takenouchi said giddily. "It's my Chyou! Can you see it now? Truly a masterpiece, if I do say so myself."

"Chyou…?" Kai mumbled, eyes widening as he scanned the statue. Takao caught his eye and mouthed, "Compliment him!" Startled by this, Kai stumbled over his words before finally managing, "Uh, it's very nice. Very… _abstract_."

Takenouchi squirmed with delight. "It took me a long while to finish. A long, long while, but I will do anything for my dear Chyou. Do you boys think she'll like it? Yes, she'll like it. I know she will."

Before he could say more, a shadow jumped from the loft above and landed on the statue, stabbing a double-edged sword into it and twisted, breaking off what was supposed to be the head. Takenouchi let out a pained cry, his hands flying to his mouth as he watched the head fall to the floor and break into several large pieces.

"Oops," the man murmured with a cruel laugh, his eyes narrowing on Takenouchi. His laughter was echoed by a more feminine voice as a woman too leapt off the loft and landed neatly beside the statue.

Kai and Takao both instantly reached for where their pistols usually sat around their waists before suddenly remembering, with inward groans, that Takenouchi had asked them not to bring the weapons for fear of startling the other guests. In any other situation, they would not have complied, but they had been with Takenouchi so much that neither of them actually expected anything to happen.

The man smirked and pulled his sword from the remains of the stone statue, and the woman pulled her own thin sword out, swinging it lightly in the air.

"Who are you?" Kai demanded, he and Takao moving in front of Takenouchi.

The two looked at each other and then began laughing once more. The woman smiled evilly at Kai. "Take a guess."

Kai's eyes ran over them, taking in the silky looking beige outfits they wore, the lengths and types of blades they held, and he noticed the almost invisible tattoo that ran around both their left wrists, the strange writing that held no true meaning. His eyes widened slightly. "It can't be…"

"What are you doing here?" Takenouchi squeaked at the two, cowering closer to Takao. "I gave you what you wanted! I told you what you needed to know! What more do you want from me?"

_Takenouchi has had dealings with the White Tigers_? Kai and Takao thought simultaneously. They both blinked stupidly, wanting to turn to the man that trembled behind them with incredulous looks, but not foolish enough to take their eyes away from the deadly duo that appeared to be already growing bored with the encounter.

"What's going on?" Kai questioned of Takenouchi instead, anger rising in his voice.

"I shouldn't have done it, but I didn't know what else to do, and now they're here to kill me! They've been wanting to kill me for so long!" Takenouchi wailed, hiding behind Takao. "I don't know why they're after me! Don't let them get me! Please don't let them get me!"

"Quiet!" the man snarled. His anger, however, quickly dissipated, his infuriating smirk taking its place once more. "We have wasted too much time with an annoyance like you."

They were quick. It was the only thing Kai could think about before having to dodge from under the sharp edge of the sword that swung so dangerously close to his head. He tackled Takenouchi to the floor, hoping Takao had enough to sense to move out of the way. Takenouchi screamed in a high-pitched way that distracted Kai just long enough that he barely made a second escape from under the blade as the second attack came.

The man had chosen Kai and Takenouchi to play with, only half-heartedly swinging his sword, as he enjoyed watching the old man and the agent scurry across the floor. Kai attempted to get back on his feet, but every time the sword would slice the air above him, keeping him down. He could see Takao having the same problem from the corner of his eye.

Aggravated, Kai glowered at the White Tiger who dared to mock him with a smirk, and, at the same time, glanced about the study for something to use in his defense. He caught sight of a lamp on Takenouchi's desk, and, in a frantic leap, grabbed the cord of the lamp, jerking it toward him. It flew off the desk and into his hands just in time for him to turn around to block another slash of the sword.

At least, he would have liked for the lamp to block it.

The blade sliced through the metal lamp as if it were paper, hardly giving Kai room to avoid being cut in half. The White Tiger laughed haughtily as Kai stared at the two pieces in his hands, but his laughter wavered when Kai looked back at him, not with the fear that such occurrences usually brought, but with a sort of apathetic cock of the eyebrow.

"That's a nice sword," Kai said, sounding unconcerned. His statement caught the White Tiger off guard for the briefest of moments, but it was long enough for Kai to make his own strike. He used the skills taught to him during the Agency's special training, and knocked the White Tiger off his feet.

The White Tiger fell backwards onto the floor, his head hitting the thin carpet with a loud smacking noise. His cried out, catching the attention of the woman still playing with Takao on the other side of the study. She momentarily forgot her prey to glimpse at the other battle, shocked at what she saw.

Taking the sword from the White Tiger was easy. Kai could see the man's eyes rolling all over the place in blurry confusion. The White Tiger tried to move, but only cried out again and fell back to the floor, blood staining the carpet beneath his head.

As soon as Kai was on his feet, he had another sword being swung at him. The woman was obviously very angered by what he had done and moved so quickly that Kai had little time to consider his defensive moves. The sword he had taken from the White Tiger was a lot heavier than he had expected, and he had never used one before, so he had no idea how to fight back.

The woman's sword was considerably thinner than the man's. It was curved slightly and only sharp on one edge. It looked much easier to wield, but then, at the time, anything would have looked easier than the hulk of metal Kai held in his hands.

The woman herself was much stronger than she looked. Her strikes hit Kai's sword with incredible force, making the sword vibrate painfully in his hands and knocking him backwards. Yet, oddly, she kept flicking one of her hands, barely touching it to the blade as if it was sore.

Luckily, Takao chose that moment to reenter the fight, and caught the woman by the wrist before she could take off Kai's head. She gasped and struggled to free herself, but, no matter how strong she was with her sword, she was not strong enough to wrench out of Takao's grasp. Her strength, Kai figured, came from her speed, and once caught, she was nothing.

The sword dropped from her hands and Takao forced her against the wall. She growled something at him in another language, her eyes burning with hatred. The man had managed to drag his weakened body to the side of the statue and was lying against it, breathing hard and scrunching his eyes in pain. Kai slowly rose to his feet, eyes scanning the room for the suddenly quiet Takenouchi.

When Kai finally found Takenouchi, his breath suddenly seemed to stop coming. The old man was unrecognizable except for the large flap of ears that hung from the shreds of his elephant costume. He had been torn to pieces, fresh blood covering his feeble body, running from deep gashes that were all across him.

Takao could not turn around when Kai gasped since he had to keep the deadly female Tiger against the wall in fear that she would get a hold of her sword again. He could, however see Kai's face, see the utter mortification that shone in Kai's widened eyes.

"Kai, wh-"

A flash of black, white, and red stopped whatever Takao had meant to ask. It landed between him and Kai, and landed in the form of livid yellow eyes and sharp kick to the stomach. Takao slammed into the wall nearby, knocking the breath out of him. He could only make a strangled noise before collapsing to the floor, unconscious.

Kai knew that whoever had gotten between him and Takao was responsible for murdering Takenouchi, as the other two had been too preoccupied to get the chance. He didn't have time to stop the person from hurting Takao. If he had thought the other two White Tigers were fast before, this person made them seem like they were standing still.

What was strange, though, was that the woman looked every bit as shocked as he felt, and quite a bit worried. Not a worry for her life, but a motherly sort of worry for this new person. Kai, having backed away from the two, took the time that he was going unnoticed to scan the new person, noting the amount of blood that covered the person from head to toe. Apparently he enjoyed dicing Takenouchi to pieces.

The woman said something to the new tiger, the shock and worry disappearing from her face when she turned hateful eyes to Kai. She snatched her sword from the floor and made to attack Kai, but the other grabbed her wrist and stopped her. Kai could hear the whisper of a voice and knew the other tiger was speaking to her.

At first, she looked like she wanted to argue, but after a moment, she nodded and grabbed the other sword off of the floor and moved toward the only window in the room. She opened it, the cold wind of outside rushing in to meet her, and, with one final glare at Kai, slipped out the window. Kai had been to the study many times while sitting with Takenouchi, and knew the bedroom's balcony was right below the window, and he wondered if that was how the Tigers had gotten into the room in the first place.

He hastily drew his attention back to the blood covered White Tiger. He didn't know how well he would fare against this newest one, but from the way the tiger had hit Takao, he had a feeling the odds would not be in his favor. The Tiger shifted his head slightly, as if keeping Kai in his peripheral view.

They stayed like that for a short time, neither moving. The only sound was the struggles of the other remaining Tiger that was trying to stay conscious.

"Are you going to attack me or not?" Kai growled at last, his hands clenching into fists. The Tiger began to turn toward him. "If you think…"

Kai's sentence died away, a strange sensation overcoming his body as he stared into the golden eyes that haunted his dreams at night, the same golden eyes that he had stared into only twice before. Golden eyes that, like those other two times, regarded him in a soft, kind manner. Kai felt weak but somehow willed himself to stay on his feet.

The tiger tilted his head to the side and smiled at Kai. He smiled in response before he could stop himself, and soon the White Tiger was across the floor and standing in front of him. There was a brief pause, and then the Tiger had lifted his bloody hands to place them on the sides of Kai's shoulders, leaning forward and burying his face in the crook of Kai's neck, pressing his blood-stained body against Kai's.

The action confused Kai, yet he stayed frozen to where he was, wondering how he was supposed to respond to the normally affectionate, but somehow warped, gesture. The White Tiger did not appear to mind Kai not moving, though, as he pulled away with his smile still intact. His eyes were sparkling, a great amount of joyous excitement passing through them.

The Tiger stepped back from Kai, hands lingering on Kai's shoulders for just an instant. When he spoke, his voice was so very soft and melodious, but held a certainty that indicated he could speak in forceful and more powerful tones. "Goodbye, yān yǎn-jūn."

Then, the Tiger swiftly moved away, picking up his fellow White Tiger that still lay propped against the statue, somehow making the act of heaving someone into his arms look graceful. He dashed to the window, turning to give Kai a wink before disappearing into the dark of the night.

Kai gaped at the open window, wanting to call out to the White Tiger but his voice not working. He wanted to go after the Tiger, but his legs would not move. He felt numb, wondrous, and, in some way, refreshed.

His thoughts were still muddled and his body was still unresponsive to what he wanted to do when the large black door crashed open.

"Hands in the air! _Now_!"


	4. When It's Cold, I'd Like To Die

**Rating**: _R due to "graphic nature"_

**Minor Pairing(s) for this chapter**: _Kai/Rei (M/M), Kai/Takao (M/M), Takao/Max (M/M)_

**Disclaimer**: _I do not own Beyblade or its characters._

Yes, I changed the title. _Tearing _Away was a temporary title till I found one I liked. The town of Kushiro is a swampy place in Hokkaido, in case anybody wonders where at in Japan the Kushiro train wreck happened (note: the wreck is purely fictional for this fanfic).

Bit of a boring chapter. Sorry.

**Chinese Used**:  
-gōng suffix for a respected person  
-dàren suffix for a higher ranked official  
shèng- prefix indicating holiness; I took this one to be like "-sama"  
-jūn suffix for a male friend

**REMINDER: pay attention to dates**; this is ESPECIALLY important for this chapter above all others.

-----

**Part 4** – _When It's Cold I'd Like To Die_

-----

_**January** 24, **1986**_

The birds chattered with one another, dancing back and forth from tree branch to tree branch. They darted behind the flowers of the small tulip tree; they fluttered up and down when it suited them. They skipped from one tree to another, watching their shadows on the ground. A breeze shifted the branches, loose petals breaking free, and the birds paused for a moment to enjoy the breath beneath their wings.

Then they began to talk again.

The conversation, no doubt, was about the changing of the seasons; about how high the clouds were in the sky, and how the beautifully soft hues of winter left the world looking dull to an untrained eye. But they knew what to look for, where to find it, and their conversations grew louder, more excited, as the minutes passed.

Keenly aware of their natural surroundings they were, but they hardly noticed anything else. Kai watched them intently from his spot on a bench below, wondering what it would be like to be so content with the simple pleasure of past-winter, and he wondered, as most do, what it would be like to fly to those high clouds, to let the wind hold him in the sky.

As if reading his thoughts, the wind blew gently against him, rubbing his already red cheeks and ears. Kai bundled tighter into his coat, hiding his hands in his pockets. Above him, the birds ruffled their feathers and snuggled closer together. Kai dolefully watched them; he had no one to snuggle against.

"Hiwatari-kun?"

The birds fluttered away.

"What are you doing out here, dear? You'll get sick in this nasty weather."

Kai uncurled from his position and placed a cold hand in the other's hand being offered to him, as was expected of him. The woman smiled at him, and Kai returned the smile, though with less enthusiasm, and slid off the bench to walk beside her on the sidewalk, sadly looking at the trees they were leaving behind. He knew the woman meant well, but she had scared away the birds and she clearly could not see what he saw in the cold milieu.

"We were able to contact your grandfather, Hiwatari-kun. He wasn't able to speak to us long, but he said he would give us a call as soon as possible. Doesn't that make you happy?"

The question was followed by another smile and the woman squeezed Kai's hand gently. He stared at her in bafflement, no quite grasping what she was telling him. "What about my aunt?"

There was an obvious hesitance in the woman's entire manner now, her walk jerky and her mouth opening in half-thoughts before closing again. She looked down at Kai; he could tell this smile was forced. "Your aunt can't take care of you anymore, sweetie. If your grandfather agrees, you will go to live with him from now on."

Kai stopped walking, letting his hand slide back to his side. He stared at the ground in front of him, eyes tracing the corners of the bricks. The woman stopped, too, and kneeled down in front of him, resting her hands on his shoulders.

"Why?"

He heard her breathe in slowly and the soft sigh that followed. One of the hands moved from his shoulder to lift his chin so she could look him in the eye. "Kai, your aunt was very ill. I'm afraid there was nothing the doctors could do for her. I didn't want to tell you this so-"

"Did I kill her?"

The woman looked utterly shocked. "No, sweetie, you didn't do anything. Your aunt had a disease that-"

"She said that I would be the death of her one day," Kai whispered, eyes falling back to the ground. "She said that I caused her nothing but problems. She said I was a waste of life. She said I had killed _her_…"

_"You wretched child!"_

"Whatever your aunt said when she was angry, I'm sure she didn't mean it."

_A sharp slap_…

"She said…"

_A dark place…_

"She said it was my fault…"

_"Nobody wants you!"_

The woman gave him a slight shake. "Hiwatari-kun… Listen to me."

Kai shivered in the cold. It seemed like the wind was blowing harder now; the trembling began, as it always did. The sky was getting darker, and the trees leaned closer to Kai -- they were reaching for him. No, they were changing into hard walls, closing around him. The air was thicker, the sky now black. Fear chocked him, and he could make out the thin line of light coming from under the door.

Kai screamed and desperately pushed at the hands trying to encircle his small frame. The world was spinning and there was some sort of pounding in his ears.

"Hiwatari-kun! Hiwa- Kai! You have to calm down, Kai! You have to listen to me!"

The sound of running, shoes scraping the ground, mere echoes in the back of his mind.

"What's going on? What's the matter with him?"

"I don't know! Get the doctor out here! _Now_!"

Running again, except leaving. Everything left; it was a fact of life. Everything was _scared_ _away_.

And the dark world appeared to open up for a second, and through the haze Kai could see a face. He could hear the voice that was calling to him, soothing him, and asking him to relax. He stopped fighting and went limp, his body shaking more down than it ever had before. The woman barely heard his whisper.

"She said… she said I killed them… She said that they died because they hated me…"

The woman pulled Kai closer, not sure how to respond to such an admission. What had scared him so much? She stroked his hair and whispered reassuring words, hearing the others running to where they were. Kai, she noticed, could not stop shaking, still afraid of whatever was playing in his mind. Yet, something was not right.

There were no tears.

"Tell me, Kai," she murmured. "Where did you go?"

The others were beside them now, everyone kneeling to check on the small child. So many questions, so many hands. She did her best to answer them, to describe what had happened to the now present doctor. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Kai's lips moving, but there was so much noise that she missed his response.

"To the closet."

* * *

_A soft body pressed against his own, a gentle breath against his neck; silky black hair brushing against his chin, and fabric rustling faintly in the quiet. Hands were gently gripping his shoulders -- small and delicate, yet powerful, hands. The body moving away, but only so eyes could meet, and those red lips forming a sentence, a smile hanging on them as they did so._

"_Goodbye, yān yǎn-jūn."_

_The world shatters._

_Saturday, September 17, **2003

* * *

**_

The sharp ring of a telephone startled Kai into consciousness, and, slowly, he began to recognize the sounds of a busy office. He straightened in his chair, rubbing his sore eyes and trying to work out the kinks in his body from sleeping in such an awkward position. The morning sun sprinkled in through the windows, reflecting off the tiled floor. He looked around the office for a clock.

"It's eight-thirty."

It took a moment for Kai to register the cup of coffee now hanging in front of his face. He took the offered cup, nearly dropping it out of weakened exhaustion. "How long have I been asleep?"

"'Bout an hour," the other, sitting in the chair next to Kai, replied.

Kai stared emptily at his coffee. The last thing he wanted was something that would keep him awake. With an inward sigh, Kai set the coffee on the ground and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. "Are they still in there?"

"Yep."

Eight-thirty… That meant it had been twelve hours since Takenouchi's murder, but it seemed like days. The night had been long and full of questions, both from the police force that had burst into the room, and from the Agency. Most of the questions Kai could not answer – who had called the police being one of them – and the few he could answer had explanations that sounded like invented stories even to him.

The White Tigers were considered to be Japan's most hated adversary for a reason. They were skilled, cold, and downright ruthless in the way that they murdered everyone in sight. Most of the small amount of survivors had to undergo severe therapy after a White Tiger encounter. That the White Tigers had intended to attack Takenouchi and no one else at the birthday celebration beside his two Agency companions was unbelievable. That both Kai and Takao would not only be able to match the White Tigers' abilities, but also able to _survive_ those quick moves and deadly blades were simply ludicrous ideas, merely stories.

While a large portion of the White Tiger agents did not believe Kai (a good many of them believing him to have created the tale in order to win sympathy since he _had_, after all, failed an assignment), the ones that had arrived at the crime scene did believe him. After examining Takenouchi's body and the pieces of the statue, they seemed to know immediately what had happened. They had been arguing with the others for over six hours and it was the final decision from the argument that Kai was waiting for.

Takao was on the second floor, in the medical ward. He was, aside from some bruising and a headache, physically fine. It was worried at first that he may have a concussion, but, aside from his un-wake-able sleep, there were no signs or scans indicating internal damage. Simply put, Takao was asleep and did not plan to wake any time soon, much to the annoyance of Kai because he really needed his partner backing him up at that moment. Still, it _was_ amusing…

The door next to Kai swung open violently, slamming into the wall behind it, and an obviously quite upset man stormed out. He was tailed by two others that glowered at Kai before following their irate companion.

"That went well."

Drawing his attention away from the trio de pissed-off agents and back to the doorway, Kai looked up at the man who had made the dry comment. He stood, head swimming a bit from sleepiness, but managed to bow respectfully.

"Daitenji-san."

Daitenji glanced over at Kai, stepping out of the way of other agents leaving the room (all of which gave Kai some sort of look, whether it be curious or judging). His usual, and strangely optimistic, expression was now stern and gloom. His frown deepened as he took in Kai's disheveled appearance, but before he could comment, another man joined them. _His_ expression was one of annoyance, gained through two hours of sitting through an argument.

"Hiwatari-san, you are being suspended until further notice. Whether or not you will continue to work for the Agency will be decided when all evidence from the Takenouchi case has been gathered. For now, you will be escorted home."

The Agency's Administrator glanced at something behind Kai, then, without waiting for a response from Kai, spun on his heel and stalked toward the elevator. Kai watched him briefly before turning around. He was met with the cool, dark eyes of Yuki Erii, Director of Operations for the White Tiger case. He held Kai's gaze for a moment, his expression calm yet calculating, and then he was past Kai without so much as a squeak of his shoes.

A chill ran through Kai as he stared at the empty space before him. Either he was more tired than he thought, or Yuki could do magic tricks, because he had no recollection of seeing the man move.

"Hiwatari-san."

Kai snapped back around to face Daitenji. "Yes, sir?"

"Before Kudoh-san accompanies you to your home," Daitenji said, indicating the man that had brought Kai coffee earlier, "I would like to have a word with you."

Kai nodded and followed his immediate superior into a private office, Kudoh waiting outside. Daitenji was silent for a while, sitting behind his desk with an almost pained expression. He sighed, putting a hand to his chin thoughtfully, and then looked up at Kai standing – wavering – patiently in front of him.

"You realize the severity of the circumstances?" he asked at last.

Kai nodded.

Daitenji sighed again, but let out a snort of dry amusement. "I'm getting too old for this." He motioned for Kai to sit down in a chair. "Don't stand. I _know_ you're tired. It has been a long night."

Kai gratefully sat down in one of the chairs, inwardly whining that it was not fitted with a cushion.

"Your report _is_ rather unbelievable, given the previous White Tiger methods, but the evidence already acquired is in your favor. _I_ believe you because I know you. You and Kinomiya-san are my two best agents. However, the decision is not mine to make," Daitenji said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. He clearly intended to say more on the matter, but closed his mouth and appeared to be examining Kai again. A small smile made its way to his face. "I don't know why I bother explaining this. You already know what's going on." He flicked his hand in the direction of the door. "Go home and get some sleep. I don't know what your costume was meant to be, but right now you look like a strangled cat."

Kai's mouth quirked at the statement, and he vaguely wondered what the other agents thought when they had seen Takao's elaborate, if now torn and battered, flower costume.

Fortunately, Kudoh must have realized Kai did not feel like speaking; the drive to his apartment was completed in utter silence. The sun was well into the sky now, making Kai squint his already red-rimmed eyes. The ride to his home was short, or so it seemed to him, as he dozed off at one time while they were stuck in a traffic jam.

Yet, when Kudoh left after making sure he got into his apartment safely and he dropped onto his bed, drawing the blankets close to him, he could not fall asleep. It was the first time he had been left alone since the police had burst into Takenouchi's study, left to allow his mind to wander freely without the worry that someone would be able to pry into his thoughts.

And no matter how hard he tried to sleep, his mind kept drifting back to one person: the golden-eyed White Tiger.

* * *

_**December** 5, **1985**_

She was angry; that much was clear.

Whoever had called must have been the cause, for she had slammed the phone down after saying a rough good bye. Then she had stomped into her bedroom, knocking over one of her precious vases in the process. Her cry of anger was what had caught his attention. There was something different in that cry – something sad.

Her face had shriveled, as if she were about to cry, but she was a strong woman, there was no doubting that. Besides, crying was not allowed. Instead, she huffed, kicking the shards of porcelain so that they slid down the hallway, and continued to stomp her way toward her bedroom, not even bothering to call for him to come and clean up the mess.

Kai slowly looked around the corner again, having leapt out of sight when the shards had been kicked in his direction. He could hear her bustling around her room, drawers squeaking open, and cracking as they were slammed shut. Items were being ripped out of the closet, trinkets knocked to the floor… Yes, she was definitely angry.

Normally, he was wise enough to disappear when she was in one of her moods, only reluctantly returning when he heard her sharp call, but this time was different, because accompanying the crashes and banging were muffled sobs and growled curses. His curiosity was getting the better of him, and before he realized what he was doing, he was standing before her half-open door, peeking inside.

A large suitcase was open on the bed, clothes already piled in it. Other clothes littered the floor, along with jewelry, hangers, and other sorts of bedroom items. She was leaning into the closet searching for something, and her search grew more and more desperate. Kai had never seen her like this and watched in fascination.

"Where is it! Where, where, where!"

In a fit of rage, she grabbed the shelves in her closet and dumped them over, kicking them as if that would help her find whatever it was that she was looking for. Kai flinched and scooted closer to the wall where he was less visible through the doorway.

Her foot stopped in mid-kick and she sank to the floor, broken. Her sobs were quiet and choked, her pride not wanting to let her tears win in the moment of crisis.

"No… it's not true… I'm fine… There's nothing wrong with me… I'm fine…"

Kai watched as she buried her face in her hands, letting go of all her dignity and bawling loudly. He was shocked, amazed. Before him was the crumpled form of the large woman he cowered from, the high-pitched and always angry voice now deep with some unknown sorrow. She had bruised and beaten him many times yet… she looked so sad…

Kai pushed the door open a little more, taking a small step into her room. "Aunt Marie?"

All crying stopped and, as she lifted her head to stare at him, so did Kai's heart.

"You…" she whispered, her eyes narrowing on him. She lifted a finger to point accusingly at him. "You… You've killed me… You've killed me you wretched brat!"

Kai turned and fled, hearing things hit the wall right behind him as she hurled them after him. He ran over the broken shards of the vase, cutting his feet to shreds, but he didn't even notice. Her voice was resonating in his ears, following him even after he had burst through the front door and ran toward the fields beyond her home.

"You've killed me you dirty son of a bitch! You monster! You've killed me!"

* * *

_Saturday, September 17, **2003**_

"They haven't decided on anything yet. It's still being reviewed."

…

"Being the head of the case, they will no doubt ask for my opinion."

…

"What about Rei-gōng?"

…

"Yes, I understand. I will make it happen."

Yuki Erii snapped his phone shut and set it on his desk, hand lingering over it as he stared at in deep thought. _Hiwatari Kai_… The name seemed familiar, yet so unimportant. Why would Rei spare both Hiwatari and his partner? Yen's tone suggested that he had not been able to get the reason out of Rei.

_The wind whistled and the sky cracked…_

A knock on his door startled Erii from his thoughts. It opened and a timid, young agent poked his head inside.

"Sir, they're ready now."

Erii waved him off and stood up, pausing briefly to look at his phone as if he expected it to ring again. Some thought was prowling around in the back of his mind, covered by the shadows of years.

_The screams could be heard over the loud boom of thunder…_

With a deep sigh, Erii made his way to the door, nearly colliding with another young agent carrying a small stack of papers as he swung it open.

"Um, this is all the information you wanted, sir."

"Place them on my desk," Erii stated calmly. He made to leave, but the paper on top caught his attention. He quickly snatched it up before the agent could walk away. His eyes widened as he read the lines. Then spinning on his heel, he began to head toward the office where his presence was being awaited, the paper firmly crushed in his hand.

_"We'll leave him here. If he can survive the night, then he deserves to live."_

-----

_Tuesday, September 20, **2003**_

"I feel… like… _shit_."

Kai glanced at his soon-to-be-former partner, who, after having fallen heavily into the chair next to Kai like a sack of feed, laid his head on Kai's shoulder in a display of exhaustion. Kai frowned, brow creasing in aggravation, and shook Takao's head off his shoulder with a quiet growl. Takao groaned and slumped farther in his seat, giving Kai his own agitated frown.

"I haven't been sleeping well," Takao muttered around a yawn. He stared vacantly at the clock on the opposite wall of the hall. "I mean… we failed him…"

Kai didn't offer a reply, as he was not sure how to respond to Takao's depression. He knew it was the first time Takao had ever lost someone close, but words were not his strong suit. Instead, when Takao's head dropped against him again, he made no move to shrug it off.

Truth be told, Kai was not sleeping well, either. How, between the anticipation of not knowing whether or not he would still have a job at the end of the week and his preoccupation with a certain White Tiger, could he? However, unlike Takao, Kai had had his potentially breaking point Saturday morning and, having lived through it, was now back to his usual reclusive self.

The sound of footsteps, and then someone was standing before them. Takao blearily opened his eyes and sat up straight, stifling another yawn behind his hand; Kai looked at the young man expectantly.

"Daitenji-san will see you now. Please follow me."

When they entered his office, Daitenji was examining some papers on his desk, every now and then jotting notes down on a piece of paper. He barely glanced up at Kai and Takao, motioning for them to take a seat while he finished whatever it was that he was doing. Takao dropped into the seat as unceremoniously as he did before, ignoring manners. He knew Daitenji favored him and Kai over the other agents working in the homicide department, and he took full advantage of that favor.

When Daitenji finally laid his pen down and leaned back in his chair, Takao was practically asleep. He gave a small smile as Kai elbowed Takao awake. Clearly the possibility of losing his job really was not the concern of the younger of the two agents.

"The case has been reviewed, quite a few times actually," Daitenji started once he had their full attention. "It has been decided that you are both telling the truth," Takao having been called in on Sunday to give his account of what happened, "and the two of you will keeps your jobs here at the Agency."

Kai relaxed a little; he had joined the Agency for a reason, after all, and it would have been a waste of time to be fired so soon.

"However, it has also been decided that the two of you will be moved to the Chinese terrorist case, publicly known as the White Tiger case."

Takao shot up in his seat like he had been stung. "Whoa, what? No, no, no. I've played once with the pretty, little kitties, and I don't plan to ever again."

"Kinomiya-kun, I understand your refusal, but the two of you are the first two agents that have ever seen the White Tigers with your own eyes and lived to tell about it." Daitenji sat forward and clasped his hands together on his desk. He stared hard at Takao. "You may be able to give vital information to the case."

"It's either join the case or lose you job," Kai said quietly to Takao. He was feeling rather excited about the reassignment. Being on the White Tiger case was where he wanted to be.

"I'd rather be jobless than _dead!_" Takao snapped. He turned back to Daitenji. "Can't I just tell them what I know and leave it at that?"

"I doubt you will be placed in a field position," Daitenji assured him. "The two of you will be far too new to the case for Yuki-san to take the risk of putting you in such an atmosphere, despite your previous encounter."

"But we will be put there eventually, and ultimately be killed!" Takao jumped from his chair and started to make his way toward the door. "There is a reason it's considered to be the suicide case!"

"Hopefully you will be able to help them bring about the ruin of the White Tigers before you are placed in such a position. Kinomiya-kun," Daitenji's soft tone made Takao pause in his storm to the door. "I know you are going through a rough time, and I know that you only want to forget about what happened, but think about all the people they have killed. Takenouchi was not the first, and he won't be the last. I would have refused to allow you to be moved if I didn't think you would be of great service to the case. _Please_, Kinomiya-kun."

The three of them were silent, two pairs of eyes studying Takao's slumped form as he thought. He sighed and slowly turned back around, giving a small nod of consent. It was the second time that day that Kai had let out a quiet breath of relief. Takao had been his partner since he had started at the Agency, and he trusted no one else with his life.

"Well then," Daitenji continued quietly, "There will be a meeting for you to attend this afternoon. I'm sure everything will be explained to you there. You may spend your time until then cleaning out your desks."

* * *

_**November** 28, **1985**_

"You wretched child! Nobody wants you!"

The thin crack of light was mocking him, dancing before him like a dream. The darkness closed around him like the hand of the devil, suffocating him. The eerie silence grew louder with each passing moment and pressed heavily against him, broken only by his weak pleas to be let out. He huddled near the light, afraid of the black depth beyond him.

There were things in the darkness, shadowy creatures that were waiting for him to close his eyes so they could attack. He knew that if he tore his eyes away for one second they would be upon him, tearing his body to shreds. So he sat, and watched the darkness, crying silently to himself, because no one beyond the door cared about his fear.

He didn't know what he had done wrong. He had only been petting the cats. He had made sure not to hurt them, made sure that every stroke was gentle. He thought they liked it.

Kai had thought wrong.

The crack of glass and the hands were reaching; a child's scream pierced the air.

* * *

_Tuesday, September 20, **2003 **_

The meeting was more or less a briefing for all agents new to the case, which were six others besides Kai and Takao. They were the replacements, apparently, for whoever had died the week before. Not at all a reassuring role.

They were, however, given some information that was not let out to the rest of the Agency. The White Tiger case had started nineteen years prior instead of seventeen years – the first two years having been attacks only on the Agency, and it wasn't until the Kushiro train wreck in 1986 that there was any hostility directed toward the public.

Despite nineteen years of battling the White Tigers, the motive for their attacks was, strangely, unknown – quite the disappointment to the new agents.

They were told that more information would be given to them as the case went along, and, if they had any questions, to ask their section leaders. Then they were promptly split up to fill the holes in certain sections. Kai and Takao – like Daitenji had suspected – were sent to the "technical" area of the floor.

Takao trudged alongside Kai, arms folded and a look of disgruntlement on his face. He glowered at the floor in front of him, one eyebrow twitching in annoyance. "If they were going to put us on the suicide case, they could have at least given us something that was a little more interesting."

Kai gave him an annoyed glare. "I thought you said you didn't want to be facing the White Tigers again."

"That's because I don't, but c'mon, why _else_ would we be replacements if someone hadn't been _killed_?" Takao's fingers began to tap on his arm nervously. "That tells us that nobody working on the White Tiger case is safe."

"Well, _actually_…"

They turned to face the voice behind them.

"I can assure you that no one working in the technical area has ever been killed. At least, not _while_ they were working technical," the man said, giving Takao a small, but warm and reassuring, smile. He held out his hand. "Mizuhara Max. I'm in charge of everything technical about the White Tiger case."

"Kinomiya Takao," Takao stated, taking Max's hand in a firm shake. He jerked a thumb toward Kai. "My partner – er, former partner – Hiwatari Kai."

Kai didn't take Max's offered hand, choosing instead to give the blond man a quizzical, and somewhat untrusting, look. "You seem a little young to be in charge of anything around here, especially on a case such as this one."

Max withdrew his hand to rub the back of his neck anxiously, giving a short laugh. "Well… My father used to be the Director of Operations for the White Tiger case, so I was immediately placed on the White Tiger case when I first started working for the Agency. Since then, I've just moved up in rank."

Kai snorted in annoyance. So the man's daddy had gotten him in. How fortunate – or unfortunate. Mizuhara… Ah, yes, the Director before Yuki Erii, killed during the attack in Osaka. Remembering this, Kai softened toward the blond man now chatting with Takao. Besides, if they kept him where he was even after his father was gone, then perhaps he should receive a little credit.

"Mizuhara-san… If nobody has been… If no one is needed in the technical section, then why are we being sent to it?" Takao was asking.

Max gave him another small smile. "Because we weren't expecting any one besides the six chosen for the case. The two of you were kind of thrown on us, and Yuki-san felt it best to start you out in an area that you wouldn't feel too burdened in, since it was probably a shock for you as well."

"Yeah," Takao muttered, "It was."

"Well, let's go, then," Max chirped, and lead them down the hall. "You need to meet the others you will be working with, and I'm sure you want to know more about what's going on. The briefings are never really informative."

At first glance, Max seemed a little too chipper to be an adult, much less _in charge_ of anybody, but as Kai studied him more, he found that everything about Max appeared to be… _tired_. The man's eyes drooped in a sad sort of way, and, as he continued to talk to them about what they were going to be doing, Kai noticed that he would ring his hands together in a way that someone with an extreme amount of stress would do.

To think, Mizuhara Max had stayed on the case even after his father had been killed. Yes, he definitely deserved more respect than Kai had originally showed him.

The others working in the technical section were about as interested in Kai and Takao as Kai was in them. They politely shook hands, but it was brief and accompanied only by a quick glance. Only one of the eight others caught Kai's attention as being unusual.

He was small and hunched over a lap top, typing away madly. His eyes remained glued to the screen even as Max introduced them, only murmuring, "Aa," to show that he had heard. His preoccupation wasn't what held Kai's curiosity. It was that the young man looked just that – _young_. He could not have been over twenty.

Seeing Kai frowning at the one he had just introduced as the "real man behind everything – Kyouju," Max laughed outright. "Yeah, he's pretty young, but a genius, and when you get a chance to talk to him, you'll like him."

"So we just gather information and try to guess when the White Tigers are going to make another move?" Takao asked, scratching the back of his head – not because it itched, but because he needed something to do with his hands that otherwise would be twitching.

"We try to _know_ when," Max corrected, yet it sounded silly even to him. The White Tigers were utterly unpredictable. He fidgeted a little, eyes darting to somewhere else in the room. "Actually… They usually forewarn us about when and where they're going to be next."

"And the times they don't…?" Kai prompted.

Max leveled a guarded gaze at him and murmured softly, "Things like the Kushiro train wreck happen."

Kai was taken back by the words, turning his face away to look at Kyouju's computer screen. He figured Max would have taken a look at his and Takao's background and profiles, but to be met so openly and quickly with his past was disturbing. His eyes widened as he thought about what suspicions his associates might have about him since he had not survived a White Tiger once, but _twice_ in the known nineteen years. He suddenly felt like all eyes in the room were watching him.

"We have come to the conclusion that certain attacks, such as the museum raid last week, are mainly to draw out our best agents," Max said gravely. "At those times, it seems as if they have no reason in mind except to get rid of agents that might know too much."

The room felt like it had dropped several degrees in temperature, and a chill went through Takao. "Then why do you go to meet them?" he asked.

Max sighed. "Because we can never be too sure what would happen if we didn't. Would they attack the public instead? Would this be the last time when we overpowered them at last? There are numerous questions to be answered."

"Why can't you just send the entire Agency in there?"

Someone eavesdropping from the other side of the room gave a snort at the question.

Max smiled gently at Takao. "It's a little more complicated than that. The White Tigers possess skills that most of our agents don't even know exist."

Takao shifted nervously, and then gave an aggravated sigh. "Man… This is really… It freaks me out."

"You should be."

Kyouju spun around in his chair, arms folded over his chest and a menacing expression on his boyish face. "Freaked out, I mean. '_Freaked out_' is mild to what you should be feeling. The White Tigers are dangerous killers, and no matter what tactics the Agency uses, they _always_ know how to counter."

"Kyouju-kun…" Max started, but was quickly cut off by the vehement young man.

"They provide no reason for their actions, which leaves us in the dark. They manipulate us into believing that _we're_ the ones calling the shots, and that is far from the truth."

By now, everyone in the room was watching the scene. Kai was surprised the kid he had thought a quiet little nerd was taking such a stance against the White Tigers. He glanced at Takao and noticed that his former partner was clearly regretting having said anything.

"The White Tigers use a distraction method, one that changes every time we meet them, and, believe me, that is the most important thing you need to know." Kyouju spun back around to face his computer, typing as he continued to speak. "It appears that the White Tigers choose their victims and places at random, but I think there is some pattern behind it all. I'm _sure_ of it. I just need to find out what it is."

At this, the others in the room sighed obnoxiously loud or rolled their eyes – obviously having heard this discussion before – and turned back to what they were doing.

Kyouju ignored them. "Aside from the two of you, no one _alive_ has ever seen the White Tigers in action. We have security tapes from places like the museum, but only the ones that were left purposely for us, which is why we need to know what you know. I think it will help me find the pattern."

"Whoa, wait," Takao interrupted, holding up a hand to stop the speech, "If they are so skilled that they can out-maneuver the Agency repeatedly, and have been able to do so for the past nineteen years, then how were we," Takao indicated himself and Kai, "able to not only fight back, but nearly _catch_ them?"

Kyouju turned around to face him again, eyes narrowed. "That's a good question, isn't it?"

There was a certain level of accusation in his tone that made Kai bristle. However, Max stepped in before anything was started between the three young men, and possibly those who were again watching and listening to the discussion.

"We don't know how important Takenouchi-san was to the White Tigers. We believe that they saw him as a minor threat or simply an annoyance, thus they didn't send their elite to do the job. Judging by the information you have already given us, we think that the two you encountered may have been novices. The third was, most likely, the only truly skilled one there, and he made the decision to let you go," Max explained. His eyes again met up with Kai's. "The question is, _why_?"

_Because I know him_, Kai thought, but didn't dare speak it out loud. He had yet to tell anyone about his familiarity with the White Tiger, knowing full well how suspicion on his part would rise. He stared back at Max with a guarded expression, letting nothing out.

"Ch'," Takao leaned against the wall behind him. "If those were novices, then I don't want to meet the experts."

"No," Max agreed, "You don't."

"I think that has been enough discussion for one day."

All movement stopped, and everyone's eyes were immediately on the man standing in the doorway. Max bowed politely to his superior, Kai and Takao quickly following suit. When Kai looked up, he found Yuki Erii's staring at him as he had Saturday morning – an analyzing look, carefully taking in everything Kai did and said.

"I believe it is about time you showed Kinomiya-san and Hiwatari-san what to do," Yuki commented toward Max, voice low and without emotion.

"Yes, sir."

Yuki's eyes never left Kai until he was out of the room.

* * *

_October, **2003**_

Rei watched the clouds move over him, a wide smile on his face.

_Hiwatari Kai…_

He wasn't supposed to know the name, but Yuki and Yen should have been more cautious and quiet with their discussions. If they did not want him eavesdropping, they should not have trained him so well.

Rei stretched his arms above his head and sighed, remembering those dark eyes staring back at him in shock. What had Hiwatari Kai been thinking at that moment? He had recognized Rei instantly, that much had been obvious, but what was running through his mind? Surely he knew that Rei was a White Tiger. Whether he had been working on the White Tiger case at that Agency or not, _everybody_ knew the White Tigers were the ones behind the Kushiro train wreck.

Sighing again, Rei rolled onto his stomach and began to play with the dead and dried blades of grass. Yen was less than pleased with him for having let the two agents live, and seemed aggravated that he paid so much attention to Agent Hiwatari Kai. He had a right to be, Rei supposed, since those two agents could provide information on their appearances and such, but Rei was sure Yuki would take care of everything.

Besides, if it weren't for Rei, Takenouchi would still be alive and probably guarded – which, while annoying, would not have been that big a deal, except they would have to go out of their way to set things straight.

Rei's eyes dimmed a little. Hiwatari Kai was going to have to pay for what he did to the new tigers; the poor kids weren't prepared to have someone be able to fight back against them. They had underestimated the two agents. But what did they expect? Hiwatari Kai had survived a _train wreck_. Then again, they didn't know who he was; he was supposed to be just an ordinary agent.

_Hiwatari Kai_…

Another smile crept its way to Rei's face.

_I can't wait to meet you again…_

-----

Kai leaned back against the headboard of his bed with a tired sigh. He had spent most of the night wading through old White Tiger files. It would "help to understand their methods," Mizuhara had said, but as far as Kai could tell, they didn't _have_ a method. Everything about their attacks seemed to be random, pointless.

Another, more aggravated, sigh and Kai ran a hand through his hair before picking up one of the vanilla folders that covered his bed and simply staring at its dated front. From what he had read, he and Takao had been _more_ than lucky. They were, aside from three others that were permanently institutionalized, the only surviving agents to see the White Tigers face to face and live to tell about it.

It was thoroughly unnerving, to be honest.

Kai wearily opened the folder and began to read the information within. It was, for the most part, the same as the others: White Tigers attack a citizen's home, the citizen is killed, everyone in the surrounding area is killed, and the Agency doesn't have a clue as to why.

Except…

_Takenouchi Chyou_… Kai read the name over twice before his exhausted mind clicked into place. The name was only briefly mentioned in the short paragraph on friends of the family of the murdered. The case itself was from three years prior, and, compared to the other cases Kai had read through, appeared to be the most random attack of them all.

The case stated that Takenouchi Chyou was a fleeting acquaintance of Yagami Taichi, the unfortunate victim, but to know two of the people targeted by the White Tigers somehow became a link in a seemingly random case (the more Kai listened to Kyouju, the more he started to believe the kid's theories, which, he wasn't sure, was entirely healthy for him mentally).

Kai read over the pages a few more times before shaking his head and tossing the folder away from him. He already had a headache, and in starting to think that he could spot a connection in the cases was proof that he would lose his mind if he didn't get some sleep soon. Dragging himself off of his bed, he reorganized all the folders back into the stacks that Mizuhara had handed to him.

The bird was perched on the back of his desk chair, one head tucked under its wing. Kai snapped his fingers next to it to wake it up without being attacked. It lifted its head quickly and stared at him curiously, hopping away when he reached for it.

"Come here, Bird," Kai muttered, holding his hand out for the evil thing to step on. "I'm locking you in tonight."

The thing squawked at him but climbed onto his hand anyway, gnawing one of his fingers as he carried it to the kitchen. It was a little more defiant when the time came to go into the cage, but many bites later, Kai had it in the cage and the cage locked with a key lock he had picked up on his way home.

"Sleep, Bird," Kai ordered when it started squawking noisily as he threw the small blanket over its cage. He held up one edge of the blanket to stare at his bird and it stopped its noise to stare back at him. "Sometimes I wonder why I ever got you in the first place."

They stared at each other until Kai dropped the blanket back down, and made his way back to his room, smiling lightly.

-----

Unlike on the floor of the homicide department, where the entire floor was an office scattered with desks and filing cabinets, the second floor dedicated to the White Tiger case that Kai was working on were three large rooms and each room was crowded in their own special way. The "Technical Room" was an especially dark room, due to lack of windows, and desks lined the walls the entire way around with a large island of desks bearing computers squished into the middle. All in all, it was stuffy, and, having never had to work elbow-to-elbow with anyone before, Kai found it annoying.

But he wasn't about to start complaining.

He rarely was ever a field agent and, thus, became accustomed to large amounts of paperwork, but the White Tiger case took "large" to a whole new meaning. Even with Kai and Takao as extras there didn't seem to be enough people to fulfill what was required.

Into the night, Kai was one of the few remaining to finish work. It was still pretty early to be leaving, but the others in the room drifted out one by one until only a handful was left. Takao had made a comment earlier to him that the agents on the White Tiger case appeared listless and uncaring. Kai had brushed the comment off then, but the more he interacted with the other agents the more he began to believe it. The White Tiger agents seemed… _dead_.

But, again, he wasn't one to complain.

"I'm going for coffee. You want some?" Takao asked, suddenly appearing over him.

Kai leaned back in his chair and rubbed at his eyes. "Yeah, sure. It looks like I'm going to be here a while anyway."

Takao nodded in agreement, and walked to the two others still in the room, Mizuhara and Kyouju, to make the same offer. Kai welcomed the small distraction of watching him; anything was better than reading at that moment. Stretching, Kai looked around the dark room at the messy desks, his eyes finally resting on the one beside his own.

Another thing Kai had noticed about the White Tiger agents was that none of them cared about putting files away, not even the more confidential files. No one besides the White Tiger agents were allowed on either of the floors used for the case, but even with that Kai thought they would be less sloppy about their work.

The agent that sat on Kai's right was one of the messier ones. Pencil shavings, clipped papers, and files were carelessly thrown across the desk. Kai glanced over the names of the files, pausing when he came across the Takenouchi case.

It wasn't his place to look, seeing as the file wasn't given to him, but no one cared anyway, so what did he have to worry about?

Kai grabbed the filed quickly and quietly, making sure that Kyouju and Mizuhara hadn't seen. He thumbed through the file, finding the format to be the same as all the others. It was unnerving to read the notes about his own interrogation, so he flipped to Takao's. Looking over the case brought back memories from that night, and Kai shook his head to clear it of the White Tiger's watchful eyes.

"Takenouchi Chyou entered the study to find her husband dead and Agent Hiwatari Kai and Agent Kinomiya Takao unconscious."

Kai re-read the line, frowning in confusion. The only time Takenouchi Chyou had been in the room was when she pushed past the police, demanding to know what was going on, which was soon followed by her scream and tears. Kai had told them what happened; why was it wrong in the file?

"Guests alerted the police at Takenouchi's scream. Upon their arrival, the police contacted the Agency for further support in the case.

"Concluded: White Tigers' random attack."

_No, _Kai thought, _I told the police what happened. I called the Agency for support. What the hell is this? It wasn't a random attack. I told Yuki and the others what Takenouchi said to them! He had some sort of connection to the White Tigers…_

Yet, down at the bottom of the page was Yuki Erii's signature, stating that everything in the file was as it should have been.

Closing the file, Kai set it back where it was, staring at it thoughtfully.

_"What are you doing here? I gave you what you wanted! I told you what you needed to know! What more do you want from me?"_

There was no doubt in Kai's mind that Takenouchi had had dealings with the White Tigers. But, if that was so obvious, then why was the Agency not pursuing the lead? Why would Yuki not correct whoever had written up the case?

_Her smile was fake and strained, her eyes holding the man beside her in contempt._

Chyou did not care for old Takenouchi, that had been rather obvious, but would she go so far as contacting the White Tigers and paying them to kill her husband? Were the White Tigers truly a group of assassins instead of the terrorists that the Agency believed them to be? It would explain the supposed random attacks. If they were being hired to kill people, then…

But if it was so easy to figure out, then why was the Agency still confused after nineteen years? And why would Yuki sign off on a case that was wrong? Unless he was covering for the White Tigers… Mizuhara had mentioned that Yuki Erii and Takenouchi Chyou were acquaintances, and that would explain Chyou's immunity toward being a suspect.

Kai dropped his head into his hands, chiding himself quietly. He was reading too far into it. Whoever had written up the case had obviously been given the wrong information and Yuki Erii was simply too busy to read over the lesser files, signing instead without a second thought. If things were as obvious as he was making them out to be, then others would have raised cane over Yuki Erii as Director already.

_I'm just paranoid…_

"Here's your coffee." Takao stood over Kai with a concerned expression, frowning when Kai wearily took the foam cup from him. "You okay? You look a little pale. Maybe you should go home."

Kai shook his head and turned back to the papers he was supposed to be working on. "I'm fine."

Takao bit his lower lip thoughfully, but went back to his desk anyway.

"Well… if you say so…"

-----

It was late. The sidewalk was mostly empty, aside from stray cats skirting from one side of the street to the other. Kai had never considered the bus stop as being far from his apartment, but with the lack of sleep hanging over him, he wished he lived closer to it. The residential area was quiet and dark, with the occasional streetlamp at the corners.

Kai had spent most of the night still worrying about that case, even though he tried to concentrate on other things. There was something about it that just unnerved him.

With a sigh, Kai leaned against the wooden fence next to the sidewalk, taking the moment to clear his mind. It hurt enough keeping his eyes open, more so to think so deeply about something that was, most likely, irrelevant. He lifted his hands into the air and stretched onto the tip of his toes, his tired muscles protesting.

Protesting so much that his left leg suddenly _stopped working_ in a moment of exhaustion, and he collapsed to the ground with a startled cry. Kai broke his fall with his hands and opened his mouth to curse that tricky limb, but he realized that alarms were going off in his head (his lack of sleep slowing his processors down) and he lifted a hand to his head, running it through his hair. He knew he had felt something…

Kai stood up, hand still in his hair and turned to the fence, immediately jumping away from it in shock. Right where his head had been, a very dangerous looking knife was stuck in the wood. It must have just barely missed him, only because of that unexpected fall.

With a quick spin on his heel, Kai was searching the darkened streets and houses, his heart racing. All the shadows seemed to be moving and Kai felt adrenaline bursts every time he thought he saw something. He took a step back toward the fence, wanting to feel its comforting presence behind him. Of course, there could always be someone hiding on the other side of it… Kai shivered at the thought.

Then, at the end of the street, there was movement. A darkened figure stood at the edge of the light of the streetlamp. With the shadows surrounding him, Kai couldn't make out his features, but his broad shape certainly appeared threatening and Kai could feel the weight of the man's gaze. Then, the figure disappeared into the shadows and was gone.

There was a light creak behind Kai, making him twist around. The knife was gone from the fence. _So there was someone behind me_. Kai's breath hitched at the thought.

_It was a warning_…

-----

Lai wasn't the type to wait patiently. He respected those that had authority over him, and did not begrudge them that power, for, in the White Tiger clan, power came with experience. The Elders knew what was best because they were smart, especially Yen. Yen, above all others, was the reason the White Tigers were even in existence, and that, in itself, demanded respect.

However, Lai wasn't the type to wait patiently.

Despite the lack of information filtering from their superiors, Lai and the others knew full well what had happened at Takenouchi's that night. Rei and Lai were best friends, so naturally Rei would tell him all the things that best friends share with each other. Therefore, _everyone_ knew there was an Agent Hiwatari and that he had been the one to hurt Kiki.

Yet, there was no order to get rid of this Hiwatari. Which, while not totally unnatural because sometimes it did take a while to come up with a nicely set plan, angered Lai for Rei had told him that Erii and Yen were hardly mentioning the event. Lai knew that they did what was best for the group as a whole, but surely they meant to make Hiwatari pay for what he did to Kiki.

So Lai waited for the order, and continued to wait for four weeks. He went by to see his still disoriented friend every day that he waited, feeling guilty that the newly trained boy had been sent out instead of someone with fighting experience. The doctor for the White Tigers said that Kiki had a concussion, said that his brain was swelling and bruised – Lai tried not to think about it.

Lai really, truly wasn't the type to wait for so long. He understood necessary planning for getting rid of someone like Takenouchi, but Agent Hiwatari hardly demanded four weeks of preparation. Rei had told him that Erii said they removed the escorts for Hiwatari and his partner after two weeks, but still they had been given no orders. Lai couldn't take it anymore. He hated to take action without a command, as that showed disrespect, but Hiwatari had to pay.

So Lai stood in the shadows and watched as Hiwatari stepped off the bus and began to trudge toward his apartment. Lai followed him, smirking at how foolish the agent was. Did he really believe that the White Tigers would let him go? Lai watched as Hiwatari stopped to take a brief rest and chuckled quietly to himself. The agent was making this so easy…

A sharp, but quiet curse flew from Lai's mouth as he watched Hiwatari fall to the ground right before his knife made contact. After fighting against Kiki, Lai thought the man at least had _balance_. Falling down like that! It wasn't like he was ice skating.

Ah, but he noticed the knife now, he is afraid. Lai frowned when the agent seemed to control his fear while he looked around. Lai craved that expression of terror on his victim's face, and that damn Hiwatari was taking that away from him. What a jerk.

Lai removed the sword hanging at his waist, noticing that Hiwatari's hand instinctively went to his side where his gun was. No problem, if Hiwatari couldn't follow him in the shadows. Agents truly were untrained fools.

Lai took a step toward the streetlight, fully intent on standing underneath it to let Hiwatari get a good look at him. Hiwatari saw him, Lai noticed with a sneer.

A quick flash, the kind that came from the reflection of light against metal, appeared and disappeared over Hiwatari's head. Lai stopped walking, now only standing at the edge of the circle of light and peered past Hiwatari.

Rei stared back at him, balancing effortlessly on the edge of the fence right above Hiwatari. His sword was drawn as well, but his attention was hardly on the agent standing barely a meter away from him. His piercing gaze was on Lai, and his steady position on the fence was one of defense. Lai swallowed the lump in his throat and backed away from the light into the shadows, watching as Rei grabbed his knife still stuck in the fence, and disappeared from behind Hiwatari without a sound.

Lai watched Hiwatari a moment more, watched until the agent hurriedly continued his trip to his apartment. Only when Hiwatari was out of sight did Lai make to return to his own home. He moved through the shadows quickly, both angered and hurt that Rei had stopped him, but curious as to why all the same.

Lai unexpectedly found himself forcibly thrown against the wall of the nearest house. There was only one person who could get past him without him having the slightest clue he was even there, and Lai turned to face Rei with an expression of confusion. He was met, though, with his own knife as it stabbed into the wall right beside his face, cutting his cheek along the way.

Rei's expression was one of cold anger, the most dangerous in its calm, collected way.

"Rei-dàren…!" Lai gasped, baffled by his friends behavior. "What are-"

"There was no order from Shèng-Yen," Rei stated in an emotionless tone.

Lai would have blushed in embarrassment if he wasn't so afraid. When Rei was in this sort of mood, he was dangerous. "I-I know, but that agent – Ah!"

Rei slid his long fingernails through the cut on Lai's cheek, holding Lai's gaze with his own. "You will not attack Hiwatari-jūn without an order," he said in a way that offered death to any objection, excuse, or even agreement.

Lai remained obediently quiet as Rei flicked the small droplets of blood of his fingers and then disappeared into the dark of the night, his skills for such things far superior to Lai's. Lai leaned against the wall for a while, the wound on his cheek throbbing with pain and his heart thumping loudly even after Rei's departure. _Did Rei__-dàren just refer to Hiwatari as… a friend?_

Yen and Jie had trained Rei to be the best; Lai just wasn't sure that had been a good idea.

* * *

_**November** 13, **1985**_

"Meow."

Kai smiled at the feline walking toward him on the railing, tipping its head to press the space between its ears against his arm and then lifting it again to touch the same spot with its nose. Kai reached out and gently stroked it, enticing it to purr and lift into his touch as his hand ran down its back.

It was a fat cat, not from eating the numerous birds and mice that inhabited the surrounding area of its home (although it would occasionally sniff at the weak or already dying ones if it so felt like it), but from the constant supply of cat food tumbling out of the plastic feeder in the kitchen. Its long fur made it seem fatter, Kai noticed with a soft, childish giggle, but the fur was smooth and nice to touch.

The fat cat was soon joined by another that managed to look just as fat even with its short hair. Kai pet each with one hand, though they meowed for more. They soon turned to rubbing against his body, and if he paused for a second they would force their head under his hands and move forward so that they kind of pet themselves using him.

Another cat jumped from the porch above, joining them on the steps. It, too, meowed for attention, creating havoc as Kai only had two hands to start with. He giggled again as they crawled all over him, competing against one another. He laid back against the stairs behind him and allowed them to walk onto his stomach.

It tickled, though, and he gave a sharp laugh before quickly covering his mouth and glancing cautiously toward the door. The cats were still tickling him, but he muffled his laughs not only with his hands but with his fear. Had she heard…?

Finally deciding he was still okay, Kai sat back up, forcing the cats to slide off of him. They were cute, sitting at his feet and meowing, looking at him with round yellow and green eyes. He started to pet them again, a fond sort of smile crossing his features. Fat or not, they really were beautiful.

But a hand grabbed the back of his shirt collar, and yanked him to his feet, causing all the cats to dart to a safe distance at the sudden motion, where they watched as Kai's aunt hauled him inside the house, her hand twisting into a fist around his shirt.

"What have I told you about bothering my cats," she cried, jerking him down a hallway. "Don't touch them! You don't know how to treat them, you insolent little brat! You'll end up killing them, too!"

"I'm sorry!" Kai cried, fear clenching at his chest. He knew where he was going, and he wanted to fight to keep from going there, but he had learned early on that fighting only made things worse. "I didn't mean to hurt them! I'm sorry!"

"You didn't mean to hurt them-!" his aunt mocked, throwing him through the doorway into the bedroom. She pulled a set of keys from her pocket and glared intensely at him. "You hurt _everything_ you touch!"

The door was opened, the darkness within threatening him. His aunt turned to him, grabbing him by the collar and jerking him forward, his face a hair's breath away from hers. "One of these days, you'll get what's coming to you!"

She threw him in the closet.


End file.
